Hi I'm very new to windsurfing - 4 weeks and have just taken the dagger board fin out of my Starboard Go and have been consistently planing but can't control the tail walking and drifting down wind to a point that I run out of water. Any advice from the guys that make it look so easy!!!??
Cheers

G'day Pipey, and welcome!
The tail walking down wind is common when you first start planing. What's your sail size, wind strength, your weight ect?
Because a small sail with a big board will make it less controllable when planing, if your running say a 4.5 or something.
Are you in the straps?

Spocktek,

Thanks for the reply and advice. Greatly appreciated. I had a bit more control today with less tail walking but still heading downwind too much.


I have a 151 L starboard go with a 5.4 sail. I weigh 80kg and wind was around 15 +/- 5 knots.

I can get planing easily but then lose control too early so I then got into the front footstep (on the most forward setting) early and then planed a little later and then stood on rather than put my back foot into the straps (haven't quite got there!!!) Turning upwind was more with poorly executed carves rather than a controlled aim at a set direction!!! ...but great fun.

Cheers

Check the size of your fin. If it is too big then it will lift the tail much higher than needed. The standard size which comes with some boards is too big. This is why I went down from 48cm to 38 cm on my JP board. The bigger fin was probably supplied because of the larger sails the board could be rigged with. I still use the bigger fin but only for light wind days when I want the extra lift to get on the plane.

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Pipeclay said..

Pipeclay. This sounds exactly like me when I was a beginner (ie: early planing, out of control and heading down wind). The only way I could fix this problem on the gear I was using was to sail in less wind. I went through the stage of spending $$$ on fins (tuttle box) for this big beginner board to fix the problem, with limited success. When I progressed to a 115L freeride board (power box), my progression recommenced. If you are planning to progress to smaller gear in the next few months, then I would not bother with spending money for fins on your beginner board. However, if you plan to keep this board, then purchasing smaller fins maybe worth while.

Try putting mast base more backwards if it doesn't help with going downwind uncontrolled and the tailwalking increases then it's pretty sure you have a too big fin.

I'm not 100% sure the tailwalking you are talking about is the same tailwalking that we are talking about. If you are going too fast with too large a fin, the whole board will ride up on it because you get too much lift and become uncontrollable. In 15 knots and a 5.4 m sail this won't be happening.
I think what is happening is that you have too much weight on the tail and it is sinking and then you are being dragged downwind by the sail.
When we are sailing, the harness is taking your weight and transferring it to the centre of the board via the mast foot. That is why you often hear sailors talking about mast foot pressure.
Are you using a harness yet? If not, you should get one. If you do, try putting more weight in it. Planing, footstraps and harness all go together.

Thanks guys.

Went out this am with a smaller fin - the one that was used as the centre board on my Starboard Go and seemed to stop the tail walking all together. Thanks for all of your input.

Cheers

Thanks guys,

I do think the problem was too strong a wind and too long a fin and too crap a windsurfer! - was planing but totally uncontrollable.

Went out this am with a smaller fin - the one that was used as the centre board on my Starboard Go and seemed to stop the tail walking all together. Thanks for all of your input.

Cheers