well I'm a right handed goofy footer as well, and I don't have the same problem. However my wife complains it's easier for her going out than coming in. (port out, starboard in). I put it down to not having a visible marker on the way out, so she tends to sail at the most comfortable angle in that direction, but on the way in, she's aiming for the launch spot, as she tends to loose ground, that's usually more upwind.

Does it happen on any rig combo? Boards, fins and booms can be asymmetric, although this is unlikely to cause that much trouble.

Could be board trim, if you're weighting the windward rail more that will cause you to go upwind.

Try moving your harness lines on the 'bad' side back and forth until you're comfortable.

Also (and this might sound silly but bear with me) you might not really know where the wind is coming from. I've had similar situations occur when learning, and it was because on one day I'd be going across the wind from the start point to a landmark. On another day I'd head for the same landmark, and struggle on one tack but not the other. It took me ages to figure out that the wind was coming from a different direction that day so I had to aim at a different spot

As all the guys are saying, check the harness lines. If the board is trying to head upwind when you are hooked and strapped in, maybe the harness lines on the port side are too far forwards. If the lines are too far forwards, the sail will sheet out, and your body will move back and over the tail to compensate, which will swerve the board upwind.

If you're having trouble getting into the footstraps because the board is swerving up wind, it could be the same problem - too much weight on the back foot when you are putting your front foot in.

Thanks for your suggestions.
I have been sailing for a long time so I think I know where the wind is coming from, and I usually sail at the same location so the landmarks are familiar - it is interesting though that recently I sailed somewhere else and felt much more even...
I'll ponder that.
The harness lines were a little farther back on the starboard tack side because my back hand felt comparatively overoaded, I have evened them up so I'll see if that makes a difference.
I've thought about this a lot more in light of your comments and I think it probably has more to do with the goofy footedness.
I had never thought about which foot I favoured until I tried snowboarding. Being a right hander I had the bindings in the regular arrangement. I was totally useless. After two days of lessons and falls I was ready to go back to skiing, but thought I'd try swapping the bindings around first. Hallelujah! What a difference. Suddenly I felt comfortable and coordinated. So I now know I feel a lot more comfortable with my left foot in front of my right.
Since it is front foot pressure which forces the board off the wind initially, I think I am failing to do that sufficiently on the starboard side because my right foot is weaker or more uncoordinated, which results in heading up wind, sail more sheeted in, body too far forward to hook in, get in the straps and rectify the situation.

Plenty of food for thought next time I go out.
Any more ideas welcome

Yep grumps I was just about to say the same thing.

Windxtasy, sounds like you're sailing your local by the landmarks, easy to do unless you consciously try and sail by wind direction. First thing I'd try next time you're out is check wind direction before sailing, and set up a landmark based on that. Sail that line and see how you go, then change your sailing line a bit either side and see what the difference is.

Windxtasy said...

grumplestiltskin said...

Windxtasy said...


I've thought about this a lot more in light of your comments and I think it probably has more to do with the goofy footedness.


So I now know I feel a lot more comfortable with my left foot in front of my right.

I dont want to be picky, just want to get the picture right in my mind.
Isn't goofy foot when you surf,skate,sail with your right foot in front of your left.
i.e. facing the wave when you are going to the left??

Well I don't surf so I don't know about facing the wave etc, but I do know I was heaps better when my snowboard bindings were goofy foot.
But sailing, I feel more comfortable with my left foot in front, but maybe it's because I'm not sailing properly across the wind, as has been suggested.
I'll pay more attention next time.

definatly everyone has a natural side.

Goofy feet!

Hi Windxtasy,

Just my 2c. I'm guessing you're having starboard tack problems at Lucky Bay? I used to as well (still do sometimes). If that's the case, and you're not having problems at other locations it might be due to the land influence on the wind.

The wind direction can shift back and forth quite a bit since it is blowing over the land, and there also tends to be a permanent bend in the wind quite close to the beach (have you ever noticed you can head high upwind when you get really close to the shore?).

Maybe when heading back to the shore, try getting some speed up first by heading towards the kiters... then go for your harness and straps.

I find Safety Bay an "easier" place to sail, as it isn't anywhere near as gusty and the wind shift patterns are more even (because the wind travels over water not land)

when you are windsurfing,
there is no port or starboard tack.
no goofy or natural.
no left or right.

just windsurfing!


if you can let the constraints go in your mind.

evlPanda said...

Windxtasy said...


I've thought about this a lot more in light of your comments and I think it probably has more to do with the goofy footedness.

So I now know I feel a lot more comfortable with my left foot in front of my right.

That's not goofy, that's regular.
Left handers stand the other way, which looks goofy.

Let's play a game. Guess the orientation of some famous windsurfers. I don't know how to actually confirm this.

Palakow: Goofy (goes much bigger on lefts)
Naish: Natural (never goes left ).
Kauli: Natural (nobody can slash that well switch-foot, can they?).

robby naish is a goofy.

Wwaaaaaaaaaaaauuurrrrrrr, grasshopper, when you can snatch the pebble from myyoulittlec@#t !!!!!

Captn Scooby said...

That's interesting. Lucky Bay, yes. and Safety Bay - no problems.
So how did you get around the problem? By heading toward the kiters first?
(Kiter haters don't get excited here)
I had noticed being able to head high upwind when close to the shore but never really thought about why. A bend in the wind. Interesting. Makes sense.

Essentially yes.. you need to bear off a lot more than you think, generally in the direction of the kiters, though maybe not quite that far unless you're doing a speed run ... (but that's getting off topic.. there are other threads that discuss the matters of kites, windsurfers and speed runs)


(back on topic)
When you stand at the beach the wind 'bends' and runs along the shoreline, so it's blowing across the board.. once you get out to the sandbar, you'll probably notice you can start pointing higher on Port tack. That's because the wind swings around behind you.

This is where you mind plays a trick on you.. The wind was coming across the board when you left the shore, so you'd reasonably assume it would be the same case heading back in, but the wind is actually coming across the nose of the board if you're heading in the direction of the carpark area.

So basically in a typical SSW breeze if you're standing on the sandbar and want to head back to the carpark you're going to have to sail pretty close to the wind. Best way I've found is to get your speed up by bearing away, then start driving off the fin, weight forward, back leg straight and get high... I mean go high.

hmm "get high"... perhaps that's what Greenleader, WetWilly and Richiefish are doing? No wind guys?

That probably explains everything, but I'm having a little trouble visualising the bend in the wind. Do you have the technical know-how to draw a diagram on a little google map of Lucky Bay?

I'd like to end up at the carpark but I usually end up upwind of the carpark, without really wanting to.

We addicts always get high on windsurfing. When there is no wind we just talk about it.

Richiefish said...

8.7 knots......

Cheer up Richie.

Windxtasy said...
That probably explains everything, but I'm having a little trouble visualising the bend in the wind. Do you have the technical know-how to draw a diagram on a little google map of Lucky Bay?

Not sure what the bay looks like, but you can think of the wind direction change like refracting waves.

makes complete sense