In the very earliest days of windsurfing when we just cruised along slower than the wind, it was important to stop some of the precious air from escaping underneath the sail by raking it right back. In those days boards were so long, narrow and heavy that raking the sail back didn't have much effect on them. However for the past fifteen years, despite what you may see, read or hear elsewhere, 'closing the slot' is like pulling a handbrake on, and completely detrimental to your early planing and general stance, as it kills the power of your sail and can sink the tail of your board.

Check out any shot of a real professional World Tour windsurfer and see if they've 'closed the slot', or if they seem relatively upright. The only times you'll see it 'closed' is with racers whose sails have extra large foot areas (their mast is almost as upright as a wave sailors), or if they're sailing overpowered on a broad reach (which, let's face it, most of the windsurfing public rarely do). Even in this situation, the rig is only raked back because the sailor has sunk so low to control the power, that the rig happens to have raked back.

evlPanda said...

This old chestnut. Was mucking around yesterday concentrating on 'Closing the Gap'.

Usually I just sail to whatever feels right, and I'd say that is creating 'Mast Base Pressure'. All the drive feels like it comes from the mast, pulling me forward, with the occasional squeeze.

So while closing the gap yesterday:

- I'm not sure I was actually going any faster, but perhaps I was.
- I didn't feel as comfortable, not as much control.
- My ass hit the water a couple of times.

- And, overall, the rig felt very back-handed. Most of the power was going through my legs to the fin.

Perhaps I didn't have the rig set right? I had maximum downhaul, minimum outhaul and was powered up most of the time, occasionally lit up, occasionally underpowered. Personally I'd say it was a very comfortable and fast setting, except when 'closing the gap'. I was mostly sailing on a reach.

Now I think of it probably the only times I 'close the gap' ...just because, is when fully lit on flat water.

10th edit: I know what I'm trying to say/ask. Should I be really slamming the sail down for every last inch of power, or letting it breath a little (like I usually do)?

evlPanda said...

This old chestnut. Was mucking around yesterday concentrating on 'Closing the Gap'.

Usually I just sail to whatever feels right, and I'd say that is creating 'Mast Base Pressure'. All the drive feels like it comes from the mast, pulling me forward, with the occasional squeeze.

So while closing the gap yesterday:

- I'm not sure I was actually going any faster, but perhaps I was.
- I didn't feel as comfortable, not as much control.
- My ass hit the water a couple of times.

- And, overall, the rig felt very back-handed. Most of the power was going through my legs to the fin.

Perhaps I didn't have the rig set right? I had maximum downhaul, minimum outhaul and was powered up most of the time, occasionally lit up, occasionally underpowered. Personally I'd say it was a very comfortable and fast setting, except when 'closing the gap'. I was mostly sailing on a reach.

Now I think of it probably the only times I 'close the gap' ...just because, is when fully lit on flat water.

10th edit: I know what I'm trying to say/ask. Should I be really slamming the sail down for every last inch of power, or letting it breath a little (like I usually do)?

Roar said...


As seen in the luderitz post - would you consider this closing the gap by anders ?
Whats really interesting with the sail design tho is how the top is almost perfectly horizontal with the sail raked back.