Something I wrestle with is getting upwind on my shorter (wave / FSW) boards..... you can't put the same fin pressure you do like slalom boards on my smaller boards... 85ltr and 105 ltr...

Put down the rail pressure, but it feels all funky.... like I am just trying to wing it up wind.... where as a big fin lets you edge off it and you point heaps higher upwind.... how do I do this more comfortably (I mean more naturally) or is it just part and parcel of riding wavey boards... that you need to just wrestle it along upwind? Have played a bit with harness lines, moving em forward for some more mast pressure, but can't say I noticed too much difference.... and too far back has this bogged feeling.... like the sail is full but its not leading you forward..... centre of power is not forward...... hard to explain...

Discuss.

Did you check Guy Cribb's tips for going upwind? If I remember: get speed first, push your ass forward, bend the front leg and straighten the back leg, tilt mast into the eye of the wind...give it a go, they're on the web.I think also not sheeting too much helps

powersloshin said...

Did you check Guy Cribb's tips for going upwind? If I remember: get speed first, push your ass forward, bend the front leg and straighten the back leg, tilt mast into the eye of the wind...give it a go, they're on the web.I think also not sheeting too much helps

I've been told that Guy Cribb says keep your hips in line with the sail angle at all points of sail and stick your arse out to get your weight to pull the sail on. I've been trying it and it works well although I have a freeride board.
I find the little board 78ltre Tabou Pocket wave goes much better upwind well powered up + I bought a better fin - Mau 24cms freeride. I do B& J though not waves although it still feels loose to me with that fin.I try & keep all my weight off the fin.. I'm no expert though & haven't sailed that board a lot.

Sounds like you're about a year behind me K-dog, as I was asking the same question on here two seasons ago. I took on board the advice from some of the members on here.

As you know, freeride/slalom you ride the fin - you push the board over in the leeward rail with your back foot. Fin plus the leeward rail acts like one big fin.

You can't do this on a wave/FSW board (I've tried). Pretty much exactly what the guys said on here (using windward rail). I find driving the board with my front foot rather than the back front made the biggest difference for me (somebodies tip). Another tip I use is ride the chop/waves up wind (if the angle is right).

J

When I was getting into the straps (3 years ago), and was using wave board advice from here on my 150L freeride board and then on a 115L freeride board. I was in the straps, but I reckon I didn't sail properly for a full year - not able to get up wind, sailed extremely slowly, and generally the boards didn't feel right. It wasn't until a Slalom sailor explained to me how to sail a freeride board and how to apply the different foot force angles and what I needed to do to the board. It just goes to show that learning to sail is not intuitive for most people (yours truely !)

Hi Kurt and Andrew, try not sailing off the back foot but lean more forward, twist your shoulders and sail with the windward rail in the water most of the way along the board. This will allow the wave board to sail up wind more easily. When you feel you are loosing power head down wind slightly to regain power.
This works for me and in one run today on a cross shore wind I sailed 1/2 km up wind easily.

I didn't have much luck today . Not powered up often enough - ok in gusts..

I find that especially when underpowered, it helps to sail with your backfoot out of the back strap. I usually place it closer to the rail between the front and rear straps. Helps get your weight off the fin, and the sail forward and upright, to really get the power on and crank upwind.

Tacking instead of gybing is also a pretty quick way to gain 10-15 meters upwind vs a gybe.

CJW said...

sboardcrazy said...

I didn't have much luck today . Not powered up often enough - ok in gusts..

How windy was it, rig bigger?? It was like 30-40kts here at times...I sailed with a 4.2 from 10am-5:30pm.

GET A JOB YOU BUM

also learn to shaka yet bro?