Tack help

rasdpm · Joined: 17 Apr 2000 Posts: 149

Hitting 60% to 70% of my quick tacks on small board. Theyre much quicker and more fun when I hop to the other side, but this seems to be a lower percentage move, harder to hit clean. I can step around the front, but on my small board this seems to really slow the move. Should I hop or step? Also, boom to boom or mast to boom?

spyder · Joined: 24 Sep 1996 Posts: 2790 Location: oahu

check out the Steppin Up video from the Pritchard bros.
it will help you.

drijff · Joined: 14 Jun 2000 Posts: 6

You are right in that hopping is more hit or miss than stepping. The reason is that on the new side of the sail, youve got to be on the center line, or as the board slows down it will tip over.

Go for the step, and heres two other tips to help smooth it out.

1. On smaller boards go sooner and sooner. What I mean is go from one side of the sail, to the other, sooner. This will have you making your move, while the board is planing faster. Making it much more stable, and giving you some room for error if you miss the center line.

2. For the hand work, drop you front hand to the mast, before you make your move, and then cross over with the other during your move. The front hand stays on the mast, until the back hand has gone boom to boom, and become your new front hand. By doing this hand work, you will naturally move your rig across the board as you go from one side of your sail, to the other. If you move the sail across your board more, you get it out of your way, giving you more space above your board. With this extra space it will again be easier to nail the center line.