water start

[teddyb]

I just made the move to a short board and am learning the ws. I cant get the sail to fly. Everything just wants to round up into the wind.

[spyder]

teddy - check out the 11/02 post by ultrahawk. also previous posts have covered this topic quite well.

Generally, you need to get the mast perpendicular to the wind direction, and grab the mast above the boom, sweeping the mast out of the water over your head.

Sometimes you have to pump it a bit to get the water off it.

anyway, if after checking out the other posts, post any new questions you might have.

[RSGIBSON]

Two other tips: where your hand is on the mast has a big effect on whether the board wants to head up or bear off. The higher up the mast your hand is placed, the more the board will tend to bear off the wind when you first clear the sail from the water. Also, use your other hand to grab the rearmost footstraps prior to flying the sail. Make sure to fly the sail by pulling the mast INTO THE WIND, dont just push it upwards. This will allow the water run off the sail much easier. Once the sail is flying over your head, you can slide your hand up or down the mast until you find a balanced position where the rig stays fairly neutral, without wanting to steer up or down wind. It is this first step that you must master in order to successfully learn the waterstart.