upwind grrr

swchandler · Joined: 08 Nov 1993 Posts: 10588

If you have your back foot out and in front of the backstrap, you lose a surprising degree of speed potential. While the rockerlines of different boards can affect to a greater or lesser degree how much speed you lose, I find that with my slalom boards the difference is quite significant. Also, in the lightest of wind, that can be the difference between planing consistently or just slogging around.

My recommendation is get into the backstrap as soon as you can. As mentioned above, if you purposely bear off to get going and maybe pump the sail a bit, you can get into the backstrap and then drive more to windward on a beam or close reach. Also, once in the backstrap you can pump the fin a few times to pick your speed a few notches. After that, it's just a matter of playing the gusts and lulls to maintain your maximum speed.

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

Depends how powered up you are.
Underpowered, you achieve higher speeds with the backfoot out of the strap, and that allows a longer planing surface area to lift at lower board speeds due to TOO SMALL sail.
Powered correctly, or overpowered, back strap is the way to go.

isobras · Joined: 17 Jul 2012 Posts: 439

When I hit a temporary lull and need my weight forward to keep or begin planing, I take my front foot out of its strap and step forward as required, whether it's just in front of the front strap or in front of the mast. My back foot stays in its strap, unweighted if necessary, so it's ready to prevent a catapult and/or put the hammer down instantly when the next gust hits and to aid roll and yaw control. If that next gust isn't coming, then I'll move the back foot forward and slog normally ... if there's an important reason to be somewhere else.

Both ways skin the same cat, but mine also filets, grills, and serves it on a bed of spinach.

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

Yeah, different strokes for different folks.
My reasoning for back foot forward in less winds is to allow the board to get thru the chop cleaner, the board pivot point on your now close together feet, since you can't load the tail when underpowered.
Haven't been catapulted in easily 4 years, and the one then might have been no feet in straps accidentally hooked in.