Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Top 18 Windsurfing Questions Answered

**Note1: For the most basic introductory information about what windsurfing is, check this post first.**
**Note2: For a windsurfing guide specificially for POOR PEOPLE, check here**
**Note3- If you are looking for my automatic windsurfing equipment calculator spreadsheet, it can be accessed online at this link.**

BEGIN POST-

This post is intended for beginner or intermediate windsurfers who have lots of questions about the sport and the equipment. These 18 questions pop up perennially on windsurfing bulletin boards. By answering them here, I hope to save myself and other helpful-advice-givers some time in the future. If you have additional FAQs or you'd like to add to my answers, leave a comment. Also, there is some additional and overlapping information under the "information" tab on the windance website, and in this powerpoint presentation.


Question #1- I'm just starting. Should I take a lesson?

Answer- Yes. While it is POSSIBLE, to teach yourself or to learn from a friend, a lesson from an experienced instructor will be fun and will save you loads of time and frustration. In other words, your first purchase as a new windsurfer should be a lesson. If lessons are not offered in your area, consider a windsurf vacation in a place with warm, shallow water, such as the Outer Banks of North Carolina or the Caribbean Island of Bonaire.

Question #2- I’m a beginner windsurfer looking for my first board. What kind of board should I get?

Answer- A BIG one with plenty of volume for flotation and a retractable daggerboard for going upwind and downwind easily. (The daggerboard is like the keel of a sailboat; it provides stability and helps maintain a heading against the wind, but it creates drag on the center of the board and therefore must be retracted in stronger winds to access the high-speed mode of windsurfing known as "planing".) Refer to the “board size” tab on the windsurfing equipment calculator to find the volume that is appropriate for your weight. Besides ample volume and a daggerboard, a padded deck is a nice feature for a board that you will be clambering around on a lot.

Question #3- What’s the difference between a shortboard and a longboard? Can I learn on a shortboard?

Answer- There is a lot of overlap in length, so the best way to tell the two types of boards apart is the presence of a daggerboard: Longboards have daggerboards and shortboards do not. Although some shortboards are big enough to float a beginner, they are not appropriate for learning or for sailing in light winds because they lack the stability and directional control conferred by a daggerboard. A beginner on a shortboard will tend to drift downwind and not be able to get back where he or she started from. Special beginner boards, like the Starboard START, are very short and wide, but are nevertheless "longboards" because they have a daggerboard to enhance their light wind performance.

Question #4- What are the pros and cons of narrow longboards versus wide beginner boards?

Answer- Any board with enough volume will keep you afloat, but the way the board's volume is distributed (short and wide versus long and narrow) significantly affects its sailing performance. A short, 100 cm wide board will be more stable and easier to learn on than a long, 70 cm wide board. However, the long, narrow one will cut through the water faster when sailing in light winds. This is known as "displacement mode" sailing. When the wind is stronger, boards transition from displacement mode to "planing mode" where they start skimming on top of the water. The short, wide board will transition to planing at a slightly lower wind speed, but the long board will transition more smoothly and will be easier to control in high wind. Another advantage of a long, narrow windsurf board is that it can be used as a stand-up paddle board when there is no wind at all.

Note: In consistently windy areas like the Columbia River Gorge, some people advocate transitioning to a big shortboard instead of to a longboard after learning on a wide beginner board. The traditional (1) versus the high-wind-area (2) routes of progression and board acquisition are illustrated in the figure below.

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Question #5- What are the advantages of big versus small boards? If I get a big board, will it hold me back?

Answer- A big board will not hold you back. All the intermediate level windsurfing skills (harness, footstraps, planing, beach start, water start) will be learned faster on a big board than a small board. And most big boards nowadays have good performance in a wide range of winds, including light winds, which small boards suck in. The main reason small boards are popular with skilled windsurfers is that, when it IS windy enough to use them, they are fast, maneuverable, and “light” feeling. Also, in very strong winds and rough waters, small boards stay in control better than large boards.

Question #6- I’m a beginner windsurfer looking for my first sail. What kind of sail should I get, and in what size?

Answer- You should get a sail between 2 and 7 meters squared, depending on your size and the wind speed you are likely to sail in most often. Check the windsurfing equipment calculator to see what’s right for you (pink line on chart). As you get better, you can start using sails closer in size to those recommended for experienced sailors (blue line on chart). Your first sail should have a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 6 battens, and should have no camber inducers or “cams” on any of the battens. Also, avoid sails and masts made before the year 2000 and sails advertised for racing.

Question #7- What kind of wetsuit and accessories do I need?

Answer- If the water is colder than 75 degrees Fahrenheit you will need a wetsuit of some sort. For 70-80 degrees water temperature you can use a short-sleeve wetsuit, but for less than 70 degrees water temperature I recommend a full length wetsuit. For 60-70 degrees water, about 3 mm thickness is sufficient. For 50-60 degrees water 5 mm thickness is better, and you may wish to add booties, gloves, and a hood, depending on the air temperature. Below 50 degrees you will want a very thick wetsuit or drysuit, and booties, gloves and hood are essential. A life vest is good to have for windsurfing, especially if you aren’t wearing a thick, floaty wetsuit. Kayaking life vests are the best because they leave the midriff bare for your harness. Integrated vest-harnesses are also available.

Question #8- What size sail, board, and fin do I need to “plane” in X amount of wind? Or, given a sail of size X, how much wind do I need to plane?

Answer- Check the windsurfing equipment calculator for the recommended sail size, and then check the calculator for the recommended fin size for that sail. Next, you need to see if your board is appropriate for that size of sail and fin. The fin and sail size ranges for a particular board are usually printed on the board or listed on the board manufacturer’s website. If not, you can go by the following rules of thumb: 1) A longboard can use almost any size sail. 2) As far as shortboards go, 50-60 cm wide ones suit 3-6 meter squared sails, 60-70 cm wide = 5-8 m^2, 70-80 cm = 6-9 m^2, 80-90 cm = 7-10 m^2, and 90-100 cm = 8-12.5 m^2. 3) The maximum fin length that a board can accommodate is about the width of the board under the back footstrap(s), and the minimum length is about 2/3 of that.

Question #9- What kind of harness should I get?

Answer- A waist harness is the simplest and best for most people. However, if you have back problems or you want to do serious racing, you may prefer a seat harness.

Question #10- I’m having trouble using the harness- what’s wrong?

Answer- It’s a problem with conditions, equipment, tuning, or technique. :) Conditions are the easiest to rule out; if the wind is too light to lean back against the pull of the sail, it’s probably too light to use the harness. Next is equipment; make sure if you’re using a waist harness you have relatively short lines, and if you’re using a seat harness you have longer lines. Tuning is harder to address; the best way is to have a better windsurfer than yourself ride your gear and set the boom height and harness lines where they belong. If no one else is around, just experiment on your own. Technique is a big issue, too. I won’t go into too much detail, but just make you can sail comfortably with your harness hook CLOSE to the harness lines before you try to hook in. If you have to make sudden, drastic changes to your sail or body position to reach the harness lines, then you will probably crash after you hook in.

Questions #11- How do I get planing?

Answer- First make sure that there is enough wind for your sail size (but not too much wind) by asking other windsurfers or referring to the windsurfing equipment calculator. If you're on a longboard make sure the daggerboard is completely up, because you can't plane with the daggerboard down. Then accelerate by sheeting in and transferring your body weight to the power of the sail. As you accelerate, keep steady mast base pressure" so you can move your feet back and out towards the footstraps without sinking or tilting the back of the board. Turning downwind slightly and riding a little wave can help you get going, as can pumping the sail to generate power and lurch the board over the initial threshold.

Question #12- Every time I try to get in the footstraps I crash or the board rounds upwind. How do I fix that?

Answer- Again, this could have to do with conditions, equipment, tuning, or technique. The most obvious indicator that conditions are unsuitable for footstraps is that there isn’t enough wind to plane. If you’re not planing, or close to planing, before you go for the straps, then you won’t be able to stay in the straps. Remember that sail, board, and fin size all contribute to your ability to plane. A slightly bigger fin than normal may help with planing and footstraps use at first. Another equipment consideration is where you put the footstraps. If your board has multiple positions for mounting the straps, the ones furthest forward and closest to the centerline of the board are usually the easiest for learning. When you’re starting to plane and ready to get into the straps, remember to keep steady mast base pressure" and to maintain your speed, heading, and sheeting-in as best you can. Don’t look down at the straps, because that will screw you up; keep looking forward and sailing normally. Then, with your back foot on the centerline of the board to keep it properly trimmed, lift your front foot up and tuck it into the front footstrap. Push laterally, not down, with your front foot to avoid sinking the windward rail. Build up some more speed with just your front foot in, then you can slip your back foot in the back strap. You did it! Now try to learn how to “feel” the resistance of the fin in the water when planing, and experiment with changing the lateral pressure on your front and back feet to steer upwind and downwind without leaning the sail.

Question #13- I’m about to get my first shortboard. Which one should I get?

Answer- The windsurfing equipment calculator recommends a volume for a first shortboard based on the lowest volume that most first-time shortboarders can uphaul without falling off. Beyond that, pick a "freeride" board whose sail range suits the sail sizes that correspond with the wind conditions common in your area.

Question #14- My sail is hard to handle and I keep getting catapulted. What should I do?

Answer- Is your sail too big for the conditions? Check the equipment calculator. If your sail is not too big for the wind, then it’s probably rigged poorly, it’s old, or both. If your sail is from before the year 2000 then you should seriously consider an upgrade. If it’s a relatively modern sail, then check the rigging instructions to make sure you’re adding the right amount of downhaul and outhaul. Not fully downhauling a sail is the most common beginner rigging mistake. If there are other windsurfers around, ask them to help. It’s also possible that your sail has the right amount of tension, but that your harness lines are too far forward or backward, or spread too far apart (they should be almost touching on modern sails). Close-together harness lines will allow the sail to adjust its sheeting angle automatically in gusts, providing that the lines are placed correctly on the boom. Of course, technique plays a role, too. If you are standing too far forward on the board, and are not fully sheeting in with your body leaned out and back over the water, then you are vulnerable to catapulting. Also, once you can get your feet back in the footstraps you will experience far fewer catapults. If catapults are happening when you're first getting on a plane, try putting your front foot, or even both feet, in the straps before you hook in.

Question #15- What’s the point of the different sizes and shapes of fin?

Answer- The size of a fin is related to the sail size and the width of the board. Big sails exert a lot of sideways pulling force, which must be counteracted by a correspondingly big fin in order to drive the board forward without side-slipping. The sideways resistance of the fin is called “lift” but it’s actually more like torque, because it tends to turn the board over onto its leeward rail. That lifting, twisting force is partly what allows you to plant your feet in the footstraps on the edge of a wide board without sinking the windward rail, and it’s why wider-tailed boards require longer fins. The shape of a fin affects how fast, controllable and maneuverable it is. The most efficient (fastest) design is straight, narrow and upright, so most racing fins are like that. The problem with upright fins is that they sometimes generate too much lift and are hard to control and turn. Curved and slanted fins are easier to turn and control in high winds. The extreme of curviness is found in wave fins. Weed fins are a special case- they must be slanted at about 45 degrees in order to shed weeds.

Question #16- What’s the difference between the many different “types” of board, i.e. beginner, longboard, freeride, slalom, speed, formula, freestyle, and wave?

Answer- Beginner boards are technically longboards because they have a daggerboard for light wind performance, but they are short and wide for easy balancing and turning. Longboards are big and long (duh) and have the best performance of any board in light winds, as well as pretty good performance in medium and strong winds. All the other categories of boards are shortboards with no daggerboard, and are not suitable for true light wind conditions. Freeride boards are simple, easy-to-use shortboards with a good blend of speed and maneuverability. They range widely in size, with bigger ones intended for light winds and smaller ones for strong winds. Slalom boards are fast, lightweight boards for back-and-forth races. Speed boards are like mini versions of slalom boards. They only work when it’s really windy and the water is flat, but they are exceptionally fast in those conditions. Formula boards are used for races that involve going upwind and downwind at the maximum angles possible. They are extremely wide and use extra large fins and sails. This allows them to plane in lighter winds than any other board type, but makes them tricky to ride in strong winds. Freestyle boards are compact, maneuverable shortboards that plane early for their size and are good for spins and tricks in flat water. Wave boards are small, highly maneuverable boards that work well for rough water and waves but require strong winds to plane.

Question #17- What are SUP and longboard-wave boards?

Answer- SUP is short for “Stand-up paddleboard”; a big surfboard that you can stand on and row with a long-handled paddle. A longboard-wave board is a SUP board that also has a the ability to be used with a sail for windsurfing. Some longboard-wave boards have a lot of "rocker" at the tail, which helps them them turn on a wave but limits their top speed and planing ability for windsurfing. Also, most longboard-waveboards and SUP boards don't have daggerboards, so it's questionable whether they are true longboards in the windsurfing sense. I go more in depth on the various types of SUP / windsurfer combinations here.

Question #18- How do sail types correspond with board types?

Answer- Sail types have names similar to board types (question 16) and are designed to work best with their corresponding types of boards. However, some types of sail can be used on multiple types of board with no ill effects. For instance, longboards and freeride boards work ok with any kind of sail. The only combos that really aren't so good are race sails on freestyle or wave boards, and freestyle or wave sails on slalom, speed, or formula boards.

36 comments:

Catapulting Aaron said...

Question #18- Should I pee in the wetsuit if I really have to go?



Just kidding dude, this is all good information. I wish I had this when I started..

Paul Richardson said...

Where did that sail, board, fin calculator come from? Did you derive it? I was WAY overpowered on Presidents' Day.

Anyhow, this is a great post. You could've sold it to Windsurfing Mag. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Have you thought of making this a wiki that everyone could edit (maybe with your editorial veto)? I see lots of little things I would change.

THe biggest beef is with your definition of long vs short boards. If it needs a definition at all -- surely its based on length. Are you saying the Starboard 12 footers (or a Serenity for that matter) or a Kona 10-5 or 11-5 or the Pacifico aren't longboards because they don't have a centreboard???? If I save the weight and take the dagger out of my Kona One does that then make it a short board by your def?

But you can't answer these questions definitively, that would kill half the traffic on most forums!
mf4

winzurf said...

Nice summary but I would beg to differ, or at least offer some options on some points.

First board - instead of buying a first board, use a windsurf school and hire gear until you are confident, then buy what you know will take you to the next level- schools usually have a few options to try. Too often the first board gets out-grown very quickly (especially by by young people who learn very fast).

Short wide boards turn easily, long boards don't. One of the biggest learner problems is learning to turn, and a short wide board is really a great help in this area. I would always recommend a modern learner board over an old regatta style board. They are usually a lot lighter too - don't forget that weight is an issue, especially for someone who doesn't have gorilla genes.

Cheers
Bruce

PeconicPuffin said...

More typical questions and answers:

Q: I'm an athletic type and expect to learn fairly quickly. I don't want to buy a beginner board that I will grow out of...instead I'm looking for a recommendation for a more advanced board that I can grow in to. Suggestions?

A: An athletic type should buy a pure beginner board, which they will have no trouble selling on the used market once they've outgrown it. There's always demand for used beginner gear (while used advanced gear sells at a discount) and you'll be able to take advantage of your natural ability much quicker with this strategy.

Q: I'm a beginner. What should I buy?
A: Lessons.

James Douglass said...

Thanks for the comments everybody!

Aaron- Pee to your heart's content, my friend. :)

Paul- I made the sail calculator based on a formula I got off the web. I came up with the board calculator based on my own experience and "common knowledge". I made the fin size calculator based on a sail area / fin area relationship published on the web, in conjuction with my own regression analyses of the fin-length versus sail area recommendations from the True Ames Fins website.

Anonymous- I hadn't thought of making this a wiki, but that's a good idea! I'll have to figure out how to do it. :) I stand by my counter-intuitive definition of "longboard". If it doesn't have a daggerboard, i.e. the Kona 11-5, it ain't a longboard. The Serenity is a tough case- I think it IS a longboard because the fin is relatively close to the center of the board and thus functions as a daggerboard.

Winzurf- Good point about lessons. I added that as my first question. Also I agree with you that short, wide boards (with daggerboards!) are easier than longboard for beginners. However, one of the reasons I am so supportive of the long longboard as a first board purchase for beginners is that it is one that you never grow out of. It carries you through until you can ride a small shortboard, but remains indispensable for light winds.

Peconic Puffin- Good suggestion about the resale value of beginner boards! I'll incorporate that. Also, I'll emphasize the lessons as-a-first-purchase thing.

Nadjim said...

Great Blog and great info! I've just started taking lessons at the Charles River Boat House in Boston and I'm loving it. I have a Bic Techno 283 (152L) that I am not ready for yet so I'm enjoying the long wide boards they have there + the lessons are very valuable.

Cool stuff man keep it going

Franco said...

I have a brand-new Bic Techno 160 shortboard w/out daggerboard. As I was used to an oldish longboard with retractable daggerboard, I find it more difficult, almost next to impossible, to tack upwind with my Bic with light winds ( 10-12 knts/hr).
I am using a 5.9 sail which did well with the old board, at the same wind-speed, but I am being told that the Bic Techno takes a 7.0 min. sail.
Can you please elaborate and give me some hints about how to tack upwind with a shortboard ? I guess there are some tricks specific to the short-boards.
In the mean-time I'll try to see if I can put my hands on a larger sail.

Thank you

Franco

Montreal, Canada

Wind Bohem said...

I'm surfing for over 10 yrs now, and I still have many things to improve. My biggest problem is that I learned wsurfing "from the book", mostly on my own, and I still have some bad habits that I am aware of, but that are really hard to get rid of. So for all the newbies - get a LESSON!!!

Unknown said...

Hi
Could you help me with this - I have an opportunity to buy Tiga Sport board ( and the rest of equipment as well ) lenght-3,2 m, widht- about 65 cm, thick- about 16 cm.It is daggerboard.

Can you calculate a volumen of this board ? Or other words - can I use it ( beginner with couple of lessons ) with my weight around 110 kg ??

Thanks in advantage !
Michal

PS.
Calculator - great tool !

James Douglass said...

Michal-

Based on other longboards of that length and width, I would say the Tiga you are looking at has between 150 and 180 liters volume. Since you are quite a big guy at 110 kg, it will be far too small for you. Good luck finding a bigger board!

-James

Unknown said...

Hello Franco,I have the same bic techno 160 and find you need a bigger sail in lighter winds I use the Maui sails 6.5 and have no problem upwind or downwind I live in st,pete florida and have the widest range of wind you can imagine from 9 knots to 30 knots this is a very versatile board to have while you are transitioning to a short board-it has great width and stability while giving good performance,but without the daggerboard you need a bigger sail to power it up also i find a lazy habit i had was not to look where i was going because you have a bigger board/daggerboard now you really have to rely on skill and technique stick with it it will make you a better surfer,ken in st.pete

Anonymous said...

Great Info! I wish I would have found it sooner. And the calculator really rocks.

James Douglass said...

Notiones- Thanks! Tell your friends. :)

Running Teacher said...

This was really helpful information. Thanks.

Unknown said...

Are there any places in Utah Valley or Salt Lake where one can rent a sailboard?

James Douglass said...

Hey Becky- I don't know. The place to ask would be on the forum at www.iwindsurf.com. I suspect there is no windsurf shop in that area, but there might be some local windsurfers who could informally rent you some stuff. Good luck! -James

komandir said...

EXTREMELY useful post for me. I found lots of answers here. Thank you James ;).

I started windsurfing only two months ago by lending Starboard Start M (260*90 cm, 205 L, 15 kg, 40 cm Drake fin) from my friend with some cheap rig of 5m2. Later on I bought a secondhand Gaastra Pilot 7.0 rig. I still cannot get the board planing (I'm 70 kg) in 7-8 m/s wind (I can beachstart, tacks, basic jibes, use harness non-planing). Do you think this board can be planed by beginner (with this fin and sail)? Or what first do I need to change in this set to get planing? What is the principle difference between this board and the one you call longboard (like 330*70 cm), both with daggerboard - for learning and progressing? I mean why do you recommend to switch to longboard from beginner board?

James Douglass said...

Hi Komandir! I'm glad you found this post useful. The Starboard START M is a good board, and it should plane well for you in about 15 knots with the 7.0. Some tips for getting it to plane are: #1- Make sure you fold the daggerboard up inside the board before you try to plane because a board will not plane if the daggerboard is dragging in the water. #2- Make sure the sail is rigged properly, with the right amount of downhaul and outhaul. #3- Make sure you are fully sheeting-in and committing your body weight to the sail. #4- Make sure you keep the board "flat" and heading slightly downwind. That is, keep your feet light so you don't sink the tail or windward rail. Good luck!

Unknown said...

As a beginner, (200 lbs, athletic, paddleboarder for years, two windsurf lessons, hours of on my own experience thereafter) how essential is a dagger board for my first board: a Fanatic Ultra Ray 115 Liter?

James Douglass said...

Jon- The limiting factor for you with the 115 liter board is going to be the lack of volume, not the lack of daggerboard. Basically it's not going to matter if you have a daggerboard or not, because you're not going to even be able to stand on a 115 liter board without falling off. :) I would recommend a board more similar in volume to the ones you took your lessons on.

Unknown said...

This is simply because of floatiness, right? In other words, I want to be able to stand on a starter board almost in the same way that I can my paddleboard ("floatiness" wise)?
Would it be true that this board will be okay for future use once I'm doing water starts? I gather as well that higher winds will be a factor.

James Douglass said...

Hi Jon,

Yeah, I'd recommend a big windsurf board with similar dimensions and floatiness to your paddleboards, but with a flatter tail rocker so it will plane. A big windsurf board will work in both light and strong winds, so you can gradually learn the high wind skills (harness, planing, footstraps, and waterstarts) that you will need to master before you can successfully do anything on a smaller board. Most people keep their big board even after they learn how to ride a small board, because big boards work much better than small boards when the wind is light. Good luck!

-James

Unknown said...

Thanks Jim. I have been wrapping my head around this whole concept of board size relative to surfer's size but I see now that in fact, it is actually a matter of surfer's ability. Only because the new surfer must balance and stand while uphauling (a lot!)is it necessary to have a large floaty board. Later, once water starts are the order of the day, and great rail control (thus eliminating the need for a daggerboard) is attained, then size is almost irrelevant, right?

James Douglass said...

Hi Jon,

Even the best sailors still need big boards and daggerboards when the wind is light. I tried to put some more clarification about board size in a new blog post today: http://jimbodouglass.blogspot.com/2014/04/windsurf-board-size-explained.html

-James

Unknown said...

So, let's say you had 10 hours in the water in lessons and so forth, and your starter kit is a Kona One, and a 5.8 Sailworks. What would be the logical next size sail to consider? 7.0, or larger?

How do you know when it is time to get it? is it after water starts are comfortable? Jibes and tacks, and especially ALWAYS GETTING HOME?

James Douglass said...

Jon- Yeah, 5.8 is a good first-sail size for an adult man in a place with average wind conditions, although if you're planning to share the sail with a smaller partner you might want to go 4.2 or 4.7. For a next bigger size, 7.0 or 7.5 would be good. The way you know you're ready for the bigger sail is when you start thinking, "Hmm, I'm easily sailing around and having no trouble uphauling, tacking, and getting where I want to go, but I wish I had more POWER to go FASTER so I could start learning how to plane and use the harness footstraps and stuff." Basically, unless you live in a really windy place like San Francisco or the OBX, 5.8 will rarely give you enough power to be able to plane or waterstart, which is why you'll probably be getting a bigger sail before you learn how to do those things.

Unknown said...

Found this via iWindsurf and it is enormously helpful! Thanks so much!

Just bought a used board Exocet Speed Rider 170L 89 Cm wide, doesn't have a daggerboard but I've taken a couple lessons and been sailing friends' board w/o daggerboards. Super happy!!

Unknown said...

Can you put two people on one board?

James Douglass said...

Unknown- Yes, you can put two people on one board, if the board is big and one of the people is small. When I was a kid my dad used to let me ride on the front of his board. To put two adults on a board is more difficult. However, they do make "tandem" windsurfing boards that are large enough for two people and have attachment points for two sails- one in the front and one in the back.

J J said...

Hello, Thank you for taking the time to read my question.

I am new to the sport, and rigged up a friends sail over the weekend, and everything went together fine except the sail was not sitting properly against the mast. It was tucking around the mast and creating a small envelope of the sail on one side of the mast. All the equipment we were using was 10-15 years old. Thank you for you help.

James Douglass said...

Hi JJ- It's hard to diagnose your sail problem without a picture, but the problem you've described may stem from insufficient downhaul tension. Modern sails and even "old" sails from the 1990s and early 2000s require a lot of downhaul tension- enough to bend the mast into a ) shape. As you apply more downhaul tension, and the mast bends, the "pocket" created by the battens overlapping the mast goes away and the sail takes on a nice 3d wing shape. When the sail is properly downhauled, the battens should be just barely touching the mast, and should be able to pop over the other side of the mast freely when you tack and the sail inverts.

evan said...

After a weekend of mostly struggle and 5 minutes of fun, the mast downpressure tip intrigues me and I want to know more. Besides the usual uphaul challenge of a beginner on a 60mm narrow longboard, I'm struggling conceptually with sheeting and body position. I'm mostly engaged in upwind travel, to overcome all the drifting I do as a beginner. If I'm lucky enough to grab the tiniest amount of forward mast wind to steer the board in an appropriate bearing, I can then sheet in to accelerate. As I get to cruising speed (10-11 knots windspeed), my feet move aft to keep the tip afloat, and I steer upwind. Correcting, I move my hands back on the boom and feed more mast forward, but face an awkward, stretch armstrong, stance angle to brace. When I try to straighten my arms and lean hard to windward, I get an exciting but short-lived boost of acceleration, as I steer upwind and stall out. It feels fast to me, but I don't know if I'm actually planing, so I tried with and without the dagger board, with no noticeable difference. I'm wanting to harness in, but first need to trust that I'll be able to keep the sail full, and on the proper side of the boom. Do you have any tips on preventing my inevitable upwind stall?

James Douglass said...

Evan- Yes, sheeting in can often cause you to "round up" into the wind. The key to getting the nose to point downwind is to lean the mast to windward before you sheet in. You should be standing behind the mast, looking at the nose of the board through the clear plastic window of the sail, before you put your back hand on the boom. If you do it properly you can even sail straight downwind, standing on the back of the board with the sail square in front of you like a spinnaker.

Filipe Scimini said...

Could you please explain how the number of batterns affect the performance of the sail?

James Douglass said...

Filipe- Battens help form the shape of the belly of the sail (the draft shape), and they help determine how that shape changes as the sail is subjected to different wind strengths and angles. A sail with many battens usually has a more "locked in" shape that will provide consistent power even in gusty, shifting winds. A sail with fewer battens will change shape more as the wind changes or as the sail's angle to the wind changes, so the power of the sail will vary. Sometimes that is desirable, for example, when you want to turn the sail power on and off when wavesailing. That is why wave sails tend to have few battens and racing sails tend to have many battens. Another thing about battens is that they add weight to the sail- more battens = heavier sail that is more difficult to move around in maneuvers.