I've just started windsurfing and have no problems headind out on my natural side but when I turn the board around to come back in ,as soon as I up haul the sail the board rotates back around and starts going backwards towards shore will a centre fin help cheers

If you are learning a centre fin is useful. A centre fin will help the board start to go forward rather than sideways after you pull the sail in with your back hand. Sailing sideways is a common issue for learners on boards without a centre fin. Not sure about you sailing backwards. You can always call it freestyle. However if you are sailing backwards just grab the rope and rotate the sail around till the board's nose is facing the way you want to sail, grab the boom and start sailing away.

In all a centre fin will make windsurfing easier for you as a beginner.

Issa said..

I remember your problem Mort.

You learn to up haul and sail in a straight line on one tack and then have to re-learn how to do it all on the other tack. The second tack is like trying to bat left handed.

You will encounter the left handed batting phenomena, at each stage of the learning curve. At least I did.

I think you've got it. I vaguely remember something like this, where you use your dominant hand to sheet in, and on one tack it does the right thing, whereas on the other tack is does to opposite.

andysails said...
Once you have the sail up, pull it across in front of you as quickly as possible, so you can start sailing across the wind. Straight front leg and bent back leg. Good luck!

I agree. You have to initially tilt the mast across and towards the nose of the board, so that the wind pressure in the sail pushes the nose of the board downwind. Once you start heading back towards shore, you adjust the tilt of the mast for and aft to keep you going in right direction across the wind.