Strap to strap footwork

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Harrow
Harrow
NSW
4521 posts
NSW, 4521 posts
27 Oct 2008 3:01pm
Thinking I'll try some strap to strap gybes so I can concentrate on the sail flip without worrying about the feet.

How does the footwork go in one of these? Any tricks to sailing out after the gybe with my (old) front foot still in the (now wrong) strap.

Thanks,
Harrow.
FlickySpinny
FlickySpinny
WA
657 posts
WA, 657 posts
27 Oct 2008 3:13pm
Good call - I actually can't gybe without going strap to strap any more.

It's quite simple, and it won't take you long to get the hang of it.

Sequence:
Unhook
Back foot out and placed between the back footstrap and the front ones in the centre of the board and start the carve
Weight forward, mastfoot pressure, etc etc etc
Flip the rig early and agressively - really throw it away from you before you get dead down-wind
Roll your weight onto your toes on the front foot and loads of mast-foot pressure (pushing down through the boom)
Begin to sail away and then swiftly and lightly move your feet - front foot out and into the centre and back foot into the new front footstrap all in one smooth move

One piece of advice - it'll take you a few attempt to get it, and you will crash a bit, but you'll find it gives more control through the gybe. Make sure your footstraps are big enough to get out of them easily when you crash, and you'll be good to go.

Give it a go! Let us know how you get on.
nebbian
nebbian
WA
6277 posts
WA, 6277 posts
27 Oct 2008 3:27pm
The only time I can strap to strap is when duck gybing...

the step sequence is too well-drilled into me for normal gybes!


I went through the "Footwork is too hard, so maybe strap to strap is easier" phase as well, and didn't end up learning it. What cracked it for me was learning to do the rig flip in a boom-to-boom fashion (no grabbing the mast) with my eyes closed on the beach. Yes, really with your eyes closed. Like, eyes shut, can't see anything.

Once you can do that, you can gybe while concentrating on the feet, so then it all becomes automatic
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