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getting further upwind
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jimmchugh



Joined: 02 Jul 2000
Posts: 65

PostPosted: Mon Aug 07, 2000 9:13 pm    Post subject: getting further upwind Reply with quote

Im having a hard time trying to get more upwind, I can keep my speed up when going just downwind but have a very hard time keeping or getting any speed when trying to head upwind, do you have any tips?
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joeyyyy



Joined: 18 Jul 2000
Posts: 162

PostPosted: Tue Aug 08, 2000 1:53 am    Post subject: RE: getting further upwind Reply with quote

Why Wait for an answer? jim, Try to keep the board flat and ride the fin (not the board). you can also try choosing a good line to tack on, avoid the bumps as much as you can. keep sheeting in till you feel the sail loose power, then back off. Youll get a feel for it after a while. watch for wind changes that may mess you up. have fun...
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jimmchugh



Joined: 02 Jul 2000
Posts: 65

PostPosted: Tue Aug 08, 2000 9:00 am    Post subject: RE: getting further upwind Reply with quote

I have been sailing for about 50 hours, over about five years. Im on older equipment, a 9 6 Mistral shredder, and North Sail RAF Sprint sails, Im in the harness and occasionally in the footstraps.
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Rube



Joined: 21 Jun 2000
Posts: 82

PostPosted: Tue Aug 08, 2000 11:08 am    Post subject: RE: getting further upwind Reply with quote

Jim:

I had similar problems, going on epic downwinders with interesting concequences. Heres what helped me:

Ride the lifts: During gusts, you can point further upwind, then back off when the gust drops. Just watch the fin, if you pressure it too much youll spin out. Also, I found fin choice to be key. A tiny fin (or badly dinged) makes up-wind sailing really hard.

Try to rake the sail back and look round the mast. I cant manage this unless Im powered up and in the straps, but it really helps.

Try not to stall the sail, experiment sheeting in and out until you feel its optimal. Its hard to explain, but you can feel when the sails aerofoil starts to suck you along.

Oh, finally I found I was always rigging too small. Up to 20mph average windspeeds I now sail 6.0, although Im sure better sailors could get away with smaller gear. This helps me keep planing through the lulls. (Im 180lbs.)

Hope this helps!

Rob
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Tue Aug 08, 2000 3:30 pm    Post subject: RE: getting further upwind Reply with quote

Technique, bigger/straighter fins, racy boards, etc. all help upwind ability, but theres no substitute for MORE POWER in getting upwind. I GUARATANTEE you youre underpowered for going upwind well, based on four items from your post:
1. Asking the question in the first place. People who have experienced the upwind boost provided by tons of power never forget it.
2. 50 hours is not nearly enough TOW (time on the water) to have learned how to use more power.
3. Only 50 hours in 5 years implies a very casual interest rather than a dedication. Theres nothing wrong with the latter, but it does imply youre less than aggressive with both the sport in general and your sailing in particular. Those hamper the learning curve.
4. With your TOW that spread out, youre probably repeating the initial part of the learning curve rather than progressing up it.

Mike \m/
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spyder



Joined: 24 Sep 1996
Posts: 2790
Location: oahu

PostPosted: Wed Aug 09, 2000 11:26 pm    Post subject: RE: getting further upwind Reply with quote

jim - these guys all have some good tips for you, but maybe you have something a bit more fundamental that needs help -- sheeting in!
of course not to discount what has already been said..you need to be able to sheet in fully..into the harness and straps completely before you have the ability to go upwind easily. sure the proper fin, board, and sail is needed for the conditions, but if you cant fully commit the sail to the totally sheeted/hooked in position then even the proper setup wont help..

I know this is a common problem when starting out and it takes some time to correct/perfect this technique. watch some windsurfers that rip, watch videos.. you can see they distinctly sheet-in/hook-in and pull that sail in. thats when you can start pointing upwind, and maintaining a straight tack (line of sail).
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Thu Aug 10, 2000 12:49 am    Post subject: RE: getting further upwind Reply with quote

Thats odd ... I sheet OUT to point higher. Sheeting in moves the center of effort forward, steering the board off the wind. But its all relative -- if hes sheeting WAY out, hes just wasting potential power. Theres a happy medium between wasting power and steering downwind.

Mike \m/
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joeyyyy



Joined: 18 Jul 2000
Posts: 162

PostPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2000 12:21 am    Post subject: RE: getting further upwind Reply with quote

I dont know about you guys, but I sheet in to the point that the clew is nearly over the leward side of my board. and ofcoarse my sail is raked back closing the gap (as you call it). the fin is almost walking but totaly stearing upwind. and the speed is fast!!
now if not powered up and riding the fin, then yes sheeting out will help you go upwind a little, but at a slow rate of speed (not planing).
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2000 9:08 pm    Post subject: RE: getting further upwind Reply with quote

If I werent planing while pinching upwind, I couldnt jump so dang high. Im not talking about sheeting way out ... just more so than then when beam or broad reaching.

Mike \m/
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jimmchugh



Joined: 02 Jul 2000
Posts: 65

PostPosted: Fri Aug 18, 2000 11:19 am    Post subject: RE: getting further upwind Reply with quote

My sails are 4.6, 5.4 & 6.2. I learned on a Finatic Bat, and usually sail in the Bay Area. 50/50 between 5.4 & 6.2, Im usually on a sail that is 1/2 a size smaller than the more experinced sailors. Water from flat to mildly choppy, a few times at Rio Vista in larger chop & higher winds. I had a footstrap lesson and that has helped with getting upwind.
Thanks
Jim
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