Move to Maui.

1. don't over grip the boom. think of it like a piano. you should be able to run your fingers along it's length while hooked in and not loose control. try pushing the boom away from you while sailing hooked in. this will force you into the correct stance.

2. boom at chin to eye height.

3. fins are critical to your joy level

4. masts should match sails

5. flip early and bend the knees when gybing while pulling down on the boom

keep trying, sail as often as possible

sboardcrazy said..

Learn it correctly from the start ( lessons / videos) so you don't have to get out of bad habits further up the line.After about 20 years sailing ( self taught) I've just spent 18months ( ongoing) relearning how to gybe so I can get planing gybes.. Now to learn how to tack..
Live near the water and preferably have a flexible job so you can get out regularly and get TOW. +1 for Moby's..

in general tacking requires you to push against the sail once you've changed sides so that the backwinding process provides a counter balance and allows you to get the tail to spin. to practice sail into the wind and backwind the sail and lean/push against it. or sail into the wind, swap sides then backwind the sail and hold it until the tail gets pushed upwind slightly, then sheet in and drive the nose off the wind to pick up speed.

longboard or fast tack technique is different as you don't counter balance against the sail.

on my wave gear i'm flipping the sail by the time i'm dead downwind. sheeting in when on a broadreach exiting.

race gear it's all delayed slightly. I hold the sail flip until just after going past the dead downwind angle. the more you oversheet your backhand the longer you can hold off on the flip.

it does depend on your speed and board rail/rocker shape. if you are going flat out on speed gear and try and flip early in chop you will most likely pull an upside down flaka.

sboardcrazy said..

Gestalt said..

1. don't over grip the boom. think of it like a piano. you should be able to run your fingers along it's length while hooked in and not loose control. try pushing the boom away from you while sailing hooked in. this will force you into the correct stance.

2. boom at chin to eye height.

3. fins are critical to your joy level

4. masts should match sails

5. flip early and bend the knees when gybing while pulling down on the boom

Tried that yesterday and what a difference..Much better! I know it and used to do it but have got into bad habits ( mainly from sailing non planing I think in lightwinds)..

the type of tacking I was describing is the type when you end up slightly submerged as you switch sides of the sail because you are on small gear.

on big gear just rake the rig back and sail up into the wind and just as the sail goes through hthe wind jump around the mast in one go and throw rig forward to bear away.

Look at the sky when gybing - or behind you, or anywhere but at the nose of the board or your feet.

Don't set the boom TOO high (Between shoulders and nose - you can vary to suit conditions, sails, your height etc).

Get a GPS, join a team, and use KA72 - even if you're a soul-sailor.

Use 26-28 inch harness lines - verify by measuring them.

Pass used gear onto a learner.

If you're in SEQ lose weight!

Don't get cammed sails unless you have a serious need for speed and are prepared to make the requisite sacrifices.

Replace alloy booms every year.

Remember everyone peddles their favourite gear - be wary of biased opinions on the internet! (Though Exocet, Ezzy and Black project are clearly the best - lol)

Be kind to kiters - one might just rescue you one day.

Be smug because you're in the best sport in the world.

Always use sunscreen and wear a hat.

Buy a van - cars are useless to you now.

Although it involves money, if you can get the same sail but in 3 sizes, with the correct matching masts, you will progress more quickly. Knowing exactly how the sails feel/behave no matter what size is a great help.

Start racing week in week out, you will get more time on the water plus learn heaps from the other sailors plus its good fun

Always sail like there is someone chasing you around in a chopper taking photos!

A gybe is only a K (broad reach to broad reach) - that tip was a lightbulb moment for me. 110-120 deg not a 180.

The best tip I have, have fun. Don't take it all too seriously and never forget why you started in the first place.

Get that right and everything else will fall into place.

scott265 said..
Go out every time like it's your last....

I did that and it almost was.....

but yes - don't take it for granted

Push yourself to try things differently ALL the time. Don't just sail for the sake of it, get the most out of every session, if you can't gybe do 200 gybe attempts, if you can't tack do 200 tack attempts etc etc, don't do 200 the same way. Objectively analyse what could be going wrong and try something different, it's the only way you improve. Sail with really good sailors and learn from them, it's MUCH faster than learning yourself.

And don't worry about focus too much on your gear, I see it time and time and time again. People get caught up with the in thinking they have the wrong board, wrong fin, wrong boom etc. If you can afford it, sure, get nice stuff to complement what you want to do; slalom, waves, freestyle etc but 'something in the ballpark' is fine. Seriously some of the kids in the Caribbean sail on absolute rubbish gear but are probably better sailors than most on this site.

Time on water an making the most of every session is the key to windsurfing. If you just sail back and forth every session and try a gybe here and there you'll be doing the same thing with tiny incremental improvement for 20 years.

barn said..
Don't do forwards like Robby.

I must be going great, cos I don't do anything like him