Hi guys,

I have recently picked up my new racebaord and have had the chance to take it for a few sails. I'm using a Severne Raceboard 9.5 and absolutely loving it. Now I just have to get my skills up so I can make it around a course without too much up-hauling!
I've been reading as much info as possible but just have a few questions (and I thought I'd give Bushfire a break from all the PMs!)

First up, so far I have been sailing in light conditions up to a maximum of 12knots, but usually about 7-10knots. What sort of rig settings should I be going with? I've mostly been using the recommended settings, but I'm thinking that in those conditions I might be over tightening everything.

Also, I think my boom may be too short! I am using a Severne ALU Race 220-250, (the sail recommends 247) and I don't seem to be able to trim the sail off the boom (at the recommended downhaul). That can't be right... (being 2m tall, I also have the boom height maxed out which probably doesn't help!)

I am struggling quite a bit with controlling the mast foot and centreboard, so have decided to 'set and forget' that until I've found my balance! Any general handling tips for a novice longboarder?

I will be doing my best to try and make it to the upcoming Oceanics. I won't be racing, but it would be good to chat with and observe experienced raceboarders in action.

Thanks for your help.

Tootall.

Hey tootall,

Welcome to the world of all-weather windsurfing!

Re rig tension - in 7-10 basically as loose as you can. Although I believe the Severne has problems with the cams popping off if you go too loose - maybe one of the Severne owners can chime in here. Certainly with my Demon 9.5 in 7 knots both the outhaul and downhaul are literally slack.

You can probably get away with the boom, but I would think that boom is maybe *just* too short. Outhaul is the key on-the-water adjustment (if you don't have adjustable outhaul and downhaul, I'd highly recommend adding them) and being able to crank on some excessive outhaul can get you through a gust that would otherwise have you swimming. Plus I find setting the boom at about 2cm past the recommendation helps the outhaul run more freely.

Another factor is that if you have a softer than recommended mast, you'll get more bend and therefore need a longer boom.

*If* you are getting another boom and have the budget, the Severne carbon boom is quite nice and reasonably priced (relative to the astronomical prices of the other manufacturers that is). If you can stand the sticker shock, a carbon boom is one of the best upgrades you can make, and they last for donkey's years.

As for mast foot and centerboard, I'd recommend you at least go with two different settings - mast track forward and centerboard down for upwind, mast track at least slightly back and centerboard up for downwind. Certainly at 12 knots and beyond you'll be struggling otherwise. Make sure both are well lubricated (I use Inox grease from BCF) and in a pinch, don't be too proud to drop the sail and wrangle the track and board by hand. Obviously that doesn't work too well for racing, but while you're learning you'll at least be sailing in the right trim.

Finally - if you don't have an EZ-uphaul (the doodad that lets you use your harness to uphaul), get one immediately!

Jaime

Hey Dean,

Light wind longboard gybes can be tricky and the Exocet is a bastard given it's very narrow but thick tail. Anyway....

Centreboard up - not impossible to gybe with it down but makes it much much harder

Weight back - ideally your trying to pivot the board around the tail, sounds obvious but if the board is flat it won't want to turn

Be aggressive with your feet pressure - particuarly the outside rail, trying to push the rail around, pulling in on the inside foot doesn't hurt either

Try and draw the rig over the board and to 'leeward' - basically trying to get the balance of the sail over or past the outside rail

Don't be in a rush to flip the rig, you really want the board to flatten back out and your feet set and planted before flipping, even try sailing out on a broad reach clew first while practising, then flip

Then do it all in not a lot of wind and in swell - easy!

The other tip for gybing in moderate wind is that sometimes a longboard will carve into a gybe, then at a certain point fall off the plane. At that point the foot steering actually reverses, i.e. the board will turn away from the direction of lean instead of towards it as in a carve gybe. Even more so if the centerboard is down even a little.

For example, if you are carving to starboard into the gybe, you'd lower the starboard rail. As soon as the speed drops to a certain point though, you actually lower the port rail slightly to continue the turn to starboard. That switch in foot steering can throw you straight off if you're leaning into the gybe and the board suddenly starts turning back to port.

Thanks a lot for your help guys.

I'm glad my thinking was right in regards to the downhaul/outhaul settings. Next time I sail in similar conditions I will try the downhaul 10cm (?) from max, and see what happens. I have set up an adjustable outhaul, so i'll play with that more often.

I still suspect my boom is a bit too short, but will have to make do for another month or 2. If/when I do get a new boom, with a sail recommending 247cm, what size boom should I be going for? The 210-260 or the 240-290? Is flex an issue when getting close to the max on carbon booms?

Thanks for the tip with the centreboard/mast foot position. If I can get used to using forward/down and back/up, then I'm sure that will help in the long run. I did notice that my gybing turning circle was quite large with the centreboard down.

Thankfully I already have an EZ-uphaul - my back would be feeling it if I didn't - I lost count of the times I used it!

I also got thinking about insurance last night. At the local club it's compulsory to have insurance (to race at least), and I was wondering where you guys go for board insurance? I haven't really had a look around yet, so maybe it's simple/obvious, but just thought I'd ask.

Cheers.