Crazy gusts - what to do?

GURGLETROUSERS · Joined: 30 Dec 2009 Posts: 2643

Yes, really!

Did YOU read the post before yours? (We both agree with Manuel.) We all switch to sinkers when the wind is stronger but STEADIER!

scargo · Joined: 19 May 2007 Posts: 394

Manuel hit the nail on the head, which is why gurgle and iso both agreed.
In gusty conditions (depending on the venue, of course) the water tends to be flatter, meaning one can get away with a larger board. With the same sail, the larger board will plane in less wind, and the smaller sail will obviously be superior in the strong gusts. I've sailed a 115 and 5.5 in those conditions--that'd normally be a mismatch, but in 5-30, it's about the best I can do.

It's also good to have a plan, notwitstanding the uncertainty of the wind. I usually use the gusts to grind upwind and put money in the bank, so that in the lulls I can afford to sail deep downwind to try to stay on plane.

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

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

LeeD · Joined: 12 Jun 2008 Posts: 1175

On our bad rolling wind days, 2-28, it's usually better to ride the gusts downwind as long as you can, then pinch upwind on a slog.
Upwind slogging, you use the most wind that's availible.
Downwind to ride the gust as long as you can does take you downwind, but it also lengthens your fun time.
As for sail, I rig small, use a big board. Since in the lulls you have no chance to plane, smaller sails are easier to hold up in sub 5 mph breezes.

Sailboarder · Joined: 10 Apr 2011 Posts: 656

Regarding BFF,

I don't use it much, I find ackward to get planing like that. However I will get out of the front strap first when I get tossed around, loosing the plane and I'm unsure what's going to happen in the next few seconds. If I get straight back on plane from a hard to predict gust, I consider I spared a catapult! Most of the time, I will however get the back foot out too and prepare to restart.

LeeD · Joined: 12 Jun 2008 Posts: 1175

BFF when well overpowered works fine and easy for me.
Like 6.0 sail in gusts up to 33, it prevents the launch, and it's easy to plane up with that much wind. It works well with 6.0 in gusts of 24 also.

jingebritsen · Joined: 21 Aug 2002 Posts: 3371

yes, we have argued about the getting to plane sequence.

i guess since lots of the beginners and intermediates have gotten stuck because they never had a chance to obtain the skills, since they were stuck in a glass ceiling scenario has biased me and lots of others against BFF. in florida, the average sail size used is a 7.5. board, 130 liter. those that insist on BFF here have either quit or sail about 3 times a year.

slogging while unhooked is not nearly as physically demanding if one does so more often. it's like running or doing push ups, the more you do it, the more your body adapts. might i mention that when one wave sails, one typically has to do so unhooked anyway. so, having sailing unhooked skills and conditioning will prepare us all if the chance to do so manifests.

yes, there are times when hooked while slogging may apply, but in ballistic conditions, i typically will not. this is especially true when i'm choosing a larger kit to fill in the lulls.

besides staying large to manage gusty conditions, one can work on retaining the plane in lulls by maximizing sailing efficiency techniques to glide thru low patches on one's apparent wind and the light stuff combined. how? max commitment to having the kit work most efficiently.

longer lines

mast perpendicular to the horizon when the sail is raked back on the deck. achieved by pulling down on the boom and having one's carcass fully extended out over the water to then push a maximum amount of lift into the fin.

feet out on the rail.

the above works for me in florida. i'm 215 lbs and can often out plane folks that weigh 50 lbs less than me. some of the pro's i.ve sailed with are way better than me at doing this, especially if they have a 20-40 lb advantage. the only exceptions concerning weight are antoine albeau and patrice belbeoch. those guys are smarter about how to sail than anyone else i've ever been sailing with.

the only time BFF works for me is in super stormy conditions. then the meaning of the abbreviation is BOTH feet first. in chronic onshore conditions, i sometimes see one of the few stubborn guys doing BFF thru the impact zone and struggle because they don't have the SKILL nor the planing power to get up on a plane to get out of harm's way as easily as the rest of us that FFF. they waste energy, time and may hurt themselves because they get worked far more than those that FFF.

so my way or highway dogma comes from sailing larger gear in light and challenging conditions. those that choose to do BFF here in florida don't sail much, and when they do, they don't plane much.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

The LAST place I'd want to be with only my front foot in its bear trap is a gusty, gnarly impact zone trying its damnedest to pitch me and crush that front instep. With my back foot anchored but unweighted and my front foot up towards the mast step and weighted as necessary, I'm secure and can trim the board instantly without moving my feet to accommodate just about anything the ocean or gusty impact zone winds dish out.

Just two days ago I slogged a little sinker hundreds of yards across a very gusty shoreline wind shadow zone with my back foot anchored and my front foot well forward of my mastfoot. The board was submerged, but was level and controllable, and staying hooked in put the stress where I prefer it: through the hardware. It was the anticipated end to a typical evening of strong winds (averaging over 30) on the outside and an ever-widening, ever-weakening zone of 5-30 as we neared shore.