Hi,
After a long break I have returned to windsurfing, I have a purchased a Bic Tecno 152 second hand as I wanted to be sure that I will use it. I also got a couple of sails thrown in with the board, 2 neil pryde twin cam freeride's. I have been using the 6m in about 22km winds the last few times I have been out, I have started getting into the harness but my problem is that every time I start (up hauling) the board keeps turning into wind until I am directly facing it and then generally fall off! I have tried changing my stance, pulling round with my feet, and changing my handgrip on the boom.
I understand that I am only a beginner using a board without a centre board for the first time, but I am starting to feel that I am missing something and it should not be this difficult to get sailing across wind!
Any ideas? or should I just keep persevering, Thanks.

Put more pressure on foot closer to nose as uphauling so nose moves away from wind, as u grab the boom lean the boom (mast upright) towards the nose ( front of board) and use the arm closest to the clew to feather as much power on as u can while the nose is moving downwind. As the nose bears away then shift your foot from in front of the mast base to just behind the mast base and drive steer the board away powering up

Forget about up hauling in good wind.
Go to comfortable place that you have water to your breast level and try to learn water start in one day.
Anything else just extend your learning curve unnecessarily and I could say this on my one experience.
I was the world master in up hauling once (and I am not proud of it at all )

Macroscien said...
Forget about up hauling in good wind.
Go to comfortable place that you have water to your breast level and try to learn water start in one day.
Anything else just extend your learning curve unnecessarily and I could say this on my one experience.
I was the world master in up hauling once (and I am not proud of it at all )

i agree with you on that too , it only took me a day to mostly learn how to water start and now i struggle to uphaul my 125l board without falling in and my other boards just sink

Large cammed sails can be a pain to waterstart if they land with the cams popped the wrong way.I asked Guy Cribb for some advice and he says he just uphauls his large cammed sails . Of course that assumes the board you are on isn't a sinker but then most people wouldn't have a large cammed sail on it..

Macroscien said...
Forget about up hauling in good wind.
Go to comfortable place that you have water to your breast level and try to learn water start in one day.
Anything else just extend your learning curve unnecessarily and I could say this on my one experience.
I was the world master in up hauling once (and I am not proud of it at all )

20 years ago I would have agreed with you, however with modern sails so much bigger and boards so much wider I think there is a place for both uphaul and water starting skills. I uphaul a 7.8 sail 90% of the time.
If not on a sinker and you fluff a gybe by dropping the sail but are still standing on the board why not just grab the uphaul rope or mast to uphaul and get going again.
You can also use uphaul skills to move a large sail around the board and position the sail ready for making a waterstart easier.

Welcome back to this great sport - did the same 3 seasons ago - frustrating bit is remembering what you used to be able to do but can't seem to pull it off due to fitness etc.