Looking for a few pointers!

From a positional point of view do you simply fly the sail as you would normally and then move the board until it is pointing in the correct(opposite) direction? I have found that it feels as though it might need topoint more off the wind than normal so that you are getting on to the back of the board more.

Compared to a normal start do you still offer the sail with the mast hand and put the back foot on first? and do you apply downward pressue with the mast or clew hand?

Any other advise would be appreciated... apart from the general usefulness of the move for waterstarting I am trying to increase the amount of rig flip practise for gybing, especially in light winds.

Clew first is a good one to learn anyway, just incase you find yourself in the water in a shore break and need to get going in a hurry, I am a gumby and I can do a clew first w/s.

Learn it, ya never know

GT

When you waterstart, you'll probably need to keep the board at 90 degrees to the wind like usual to get max force to lift you out. But once you're going, it's harder to sail clew first on a beam reach, so head more downwind. Because the centre of effort of the sail will be further forward, you need your front foot right up in front of the mast foot and your front hand needs to be further forward than usual on the boom to counteract the extra pressure on your front hand.

Haircut said...

keep your front foot up close to or even just forward of the mast base when w/s clew first everything else with the waterstart is pretty much the same for me

Probably a dumb question but you aren't saying that you put your front foot on the board first are you cos you wouldn't be able to get close enough to the board?

Saying that, is it possible to do a normal water start as far as the rig is concerned but with the board pointing the wrong way? i.e. back foot (compared to rig, front foot compared to board) on to the nose of the board?

555 said...

Arlo said...
Saying that, is it possible to do a normal water start as far as the rig is concerned but with the board pointing the wrong way? i.e. back foot (compared to rig, front foot compared to board) on to the nose of the board?

Absolutely.. it's keeping the end with the fin far enough down wind, and then the board turning around part that is tricky.. completely possible.

Another one to learn is waterstarting with the board upside down - so you don't have to put the rig in the water to turn the board over.

Do tell!!!

Pleeeese GT

check out under starts
www.roynbartholdi.com

NotWal said...

Hmmm... it just occurred to me that once you're going fin first, you should be able to transition to orthodox clew first in the opposite direction just by stepping forward. Must try it.

Actually that was what i was getting at when I mentioned it; is it any easier to do a normal waterstart on to the nose of the board than clew first onto the tail, both ending up in the same clew first position pointing in the same direction.

I'm sure every combination could prove useful at some point.

Another option for getting a board back up the right way with out dropping the rig is to get in the water start position, sheet in to let the rig get a bit more vertical, then pull the boom away from the board (instead of trying to get it as high as possible) while simultaneously giving the mastfoot a shove away from you, and up with your foot. That should flick the board over..

I remembered this last night after horribly mangling a jibe attempt just when I needed to get it right!