Next time wear a condom and you shouldn't need these drugs.......oops sorry, thinking of a different clinic

My tip i leant is that you down haul as per the measurements on the sail i.e. mast length + extension. Then, you fine tune the boom height and outhaul. "do not touch the down haul" that is a set point. The sail behaves as it should

Plus i leant how to point upwind when the wind turns to ****e. While everyone is "doing a down winder" i'm (now) returning to my launch zone. Thanks Guy

Thanks Yuppy and vpar for the really useful tips.

Guilty as charged in the local gusty conditions. The temptation is to punch through the shifting wind but that of course is wobble city.

Hey Yuppy. Hope you are getting out in the waves heaps after Torquay wave clinic!

I really like the tip from Cribby to use your front hand as the hand break/accelerator! Push hand and boom forward to accelerate, back is the break or slow. Works for waves to slow down then speed up onto the wave, blasting to keep yourself on the verge of catapult to go faster etc. Also helped me be able to be out in stronger winds without sh&tting myself, as you know how to slow down when needed.

The Maui clinic sounds great though. Still dreaming of Maui.

"Back hand back!". Move the back hand further back down the boom when gybing, bottom turning or clew first water starting. The extra amount of control is unbelievable.

vpar said..

Yuppy said..
I've been on a few clinics now. They improved my ability very quickly.

For those of you who have done a few, let's share some tips. I'll go first.

Pop the first Batten above the boom up before you water start. It's way lighter this way.

Yuppy, i don't understand the first batten pop. I've only heard popping a batten is when someone has had a batten failure.
Please explain!

Vpar
Get the sail in the water start position, put your hand on the underside of the batten (the first one above the boom) and push up until the batten pops to the top side. This allows the wind to get under the sail.

Best tips I've received and that look obvious but for an unknown reason, when I wave sail, I tend to not look at the peak of the wave on bottom turning, sometime way more ahead, result so I miss the sweet spot!

wildrover said..
Changed from 20" to 28" harness lines today after a local lad told me when in large swell & strong wind 40kts+ , you have more ease in sheeting out dumping power while still in the lines, worked a treat too. Have used short lines a long time, he told me 34-36" is most common here.

Good man!!! I only sail 30" harness lines for several years now. Even 28 feels too short now.

This reminds me of and old saying:

"Free advice is worth about what you pay for it!"

Not that I am saying there ain't some gems here.....