Lake Champlain and waterstarting...wtf am I doing wrong?

-=koLLac=- · Joined: 11 May 2008 Posts: 39

Wow...I just typed up this long ass post only to lose it in a weird fluke of a connectivity issue here at the hotel. Bummer...let's try again.

Where were people sailing this past weekend on Lake Champlain? I only saw a few Canadians and 2 kiteboarders (1 up at Point Au Roche, where I ended up).

This past weekend was my first go at waterstarting. I've been putting along on a tubby old thing of a longboard cruiser for the better part of the summer (my first year of windsurfing, in my defense. I did get consistent at uphauling, tacking and even low speed gybes). This weekend I tried my "shortboard". Another old thing...a mistral stinger.

My question is...what the hell am I doing wrong? It seems like there was plenty of wind to propel me out of the water and over the top of the rig in a catapult numerous times...so why couldn't I harness it in a way to make the board actually move? It either turned dead upwing immediately (and then it got messy), or the leward edge would dig in and I'd either let go or go for a flip with the sail. I don't think the sail was too big since I (think) the people who knew what they were doing seemed to have bigger ones no problem. (There was nobody at the shallow beach where I had the balls to try so I could not just watch and learn...most people were sailing off the road on Cumb. Head where it's deep and I did not want to die so I chose the beach). The waves might have been a factor too...

where did you guys learn how to sail in actually windy conditions and what's your advice? You can pick on the newb but I feel like the more people we get interested in this the better for the sport (as least at this point...when it's losing to facebook and myspace in popularity).

vadler · Joined: 20 Apr 1999 Posts: 82

Sail on either side of the Sandbar.

It sounds like you are not setting your board up far enough off the wind during your water start. While you might sail 90 degrees to the wind, in order to waterstart, you want to point your board 105-115 degrees off the wind. This will stop you from rounding up.

Good luck.

tm00 · Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 5:50 am Post subject:

If you were at Point au Roche and noticed a windsurfer sailing the middle of Treadwell bay.... that was me.

Waterstarting is a lot easier to learn if you have someone standing near you and walking you through the process. The waves at Point au Roche beach would also make it hard to get started.

Some where along the way, if you like, we can try to connect to work on this.

Will follow up with a message to your inbox

jingebritsen · Joined: 21 Aug 2002 Posts: 3371

Water start word tutorial single leg:

Fly the sail, point the board slightly off the wind. Come alongside the back of the board. Arms, straight, put your back foot on the board between the foot straps about in the center. Pull the board tail with your back foot under your butt. Keep the arms straight, the sail will power you up with the lead leg acting as a keel. The less wind, the further back you must put your back foot and deeper off the wind the board must be pointed.

Do not bend your arms.

bred2shred · Joined: 02 May 2000 Posts: 989 Location: Jersey Shore

Are you able to do a beachstart? Make sure you can crawl before you try to walk. Work on doing progressively deeper beachstarts.

It sounds like you're having trouble maintaing the angle of your board relative to the wind. You either bear off and get catapulted, or you round up and fall back in. Remember that all your steering and power commands for the rig are the same when you waterstart as when you're up and sailing.

I would tend to disagree with the previous comment that you waterstart at 105 to 115 degrees off the wind. Your angle to the wind is totally dependant on how much power you have. Less power, you'll bear off more, more power, you might be pointed slightly into the wind.

You might want to practice steering from the waterstart position with one or both feet on the board. Work on maintaining the board at approximately 90deg to the wind with the sail flying overhead. Once you can do that, it's just a matter of sheeting in and standing up.

sm

tom_eberhard · Joined: 04 May 2000 Posts: 25

jingebritsen · Joined: 21 Aug 2002 Posts: 3371

Danger, 2 foot waterstarts require massive amounts of wind. Bad habit to get into, even practicing positioning. If one is sliding down wind, the sail loses power. The forward leg acting as a keel prevents that d/w slide, and raises apparent wind. Agreed with the first guy who mentioned he sails the same pond, use a pm to get together for a personal set of tips.

FunHog · Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 9:37 am Post subject: Waterstart

Try this link to the ABK site where you can download a manual of tips.

http://abkboardsports.com/tips/startdownload

I'm not affiliated with the clinics or have taken a formal lesson, but I know Andy and his crew have helped many people with the sport. Andy has even helped me when he gets a free day of sailing in before the clinic in Dewey Beach.

20 years ago Dave Buwayme (I know that's spelled wrong) sailed upwind and off the course during a East Coast Championship Mistral race to shout out advice as I drifted closer to the course trying to waterstart... "point the board downwind" , he sailed back downwind, and still finished way ahead of the fleet.

I've been having a blast ever since.

braden · Joined: 12 Jun 1987 Posts: 73 Location: Providence RI

I agree with tom eberhard. what helped me the most was realizing the sail doesn't pull you out of the water, you get the sail up there and then sort of climb up to it. and practicing beach starts is excellent

bred2shred · Joined: 02 May 2000 Posts: 989 Location: Jersey Shore