Hi,
After a long break I have returned to windsurfing, I have a purchased a Bic Tecno 152 second hand as I wanted to be sure that I will use it. I also got a couple of sails thrown in with the board, 2 neil pryde twin cam freeride's. I have been using the 6m in about 22km winds the last few times I have been out, I have started getting into the harness but my problem is that every time I start (up hauling) the board keeps turning into wind until I am directly facing it and then generally fall off! I have tried changing my stance, pulling round with my feet, and changing my handgrip on the boom.
I understand that I am only a beginner using a board without a centre board for the first time, but I am starting to feel that I am missing something and it should not be this difficult to get sailing across wind!
Any ideas? or should I just keep persevering, Thanks.
I've had this problem on many occasions and really the two tips i can give is that you must steer with your feet as you uphaul and try to direct the board onto a reach (if not a bit lower seeing you know it will point up) and the second tip is once the sail is up to just try and keep your balance and tilt the sail forwards and maybe a bit to windward, this will cause the board to point downwind. I have found this is the best for me but i also realize there may be better ways of doing it.
Put more pressure on foot closer to nose as uphauling so nose moves away from wind, as u grab the boom lean the boom (mast upright) towards the nose ( front of board) and use the arm closest to the clew to feather as much power on as u can while the nose is moving downwind. As the nose bears away then shift your foot from in front of the mast base to just behind the mast base and drive steer the board away powering up
Great to hear you getting back into this awesome sport
These short vids might help a little
Forget about up hauling in good wind.
Go to comfortable place that you have water to your breast level and try to learn water start in one day.
Anything else just extend your learning curve unnecessarily and I could say this on my one experience.
I was the world master in up hauling once (and I am not proud of it at all 
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^^^Macro - I agree, although I went out a couple of weeks ago in light winds on my big board & had to uphaul during a lull...amazing how soon you forget! I fell in twice trying to do it! Waterstarting is second-nature now, might need to go back to the basics on occasion & do some uphauling if you're going to sail in very marginal winds.
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forgot to answer the actuall question , push the sail forwards then push forwards on your front foot while you pull the back of the board around with your back foot .
Large cammed sails can be a pain to waterstart if they land with the cams popped the wrong way.I asked Guy Cribb for some advice and he says he just uphauls his large cammed sails . Of course that assumes the board you are on isn't a sinker but then most people wouldn't have a large cammed sail on it..
Thank you all for your input, I also received a reply from a direct email who said I should move my sail forward in the track, I use a deviator nose protector that has limited the mast movement in the track, so I will get ris of it and give that a try as well. I have been on 135cm so is 5cm forward about right, 100kg sailor 22kmwind and 6m sail, 152L board.
Thanks Ed
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Years ago I could uphaul any sail on chop or waves, at any wind ...
but by the time wasted by mastering uphaul I could easy learn water start, gibing etc.
actully learning gybing and waterstart come hand in hand
after properly failed gybe you do usually land in the water, so doesn't make sense crawl onto the board then straggle again with sail to fall into water again....
there is more... my TOW (time on the water) was limited usually by amount of up hauls I could do in one day. No so many in stronger winds and that was always the most tiring in whole windsurfing
and more.....my back...doesn't hurt any more since I learn waterstart
