If you are a lone sailor always tell someone where you going for a sail.at least that person knows if the inevitable happens.

If your uni fails and you have a board and rig separation off shore, the board will disappear in no time if you let it, and it's virtually impossible to catch even in a light wind, so go for the board first. If the rig sinks it's too bad but at least you'll have something to paddle home.

Nice safety tip. Obviously the board doesn't go far when the sail IS still connected so easy to become complacent in the event of the unlikely.

When learning to gybe forget about the rig and concentrate on carving the board around.
That and getting the back hand way back and the boom shaka.

I am gonna get red thumbed to death for this... But don't take candy from strangers take technique advice from strangers on the internet. You've never seen them sail, you have no idea how good they are. You could be getting sex advice from a virgin. Trust pros!

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MrCranky said..
I am gonna get red thumbed to death for this... But don't take candy from strangers take technique advice from strangers on the internet. You've never seen them sail, you have no idea how good they are. You could be getting sex advice from a virgin. Trust pros!

Good point. For a definitive: Consult a local. . but forum advice is better than no advice (and essentially reinventing the wheel) most of the time. I got some excellent tips on here when I was a beginner.

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MikeyS said..
Get professional help. I mean, do a course with any of the really good instructors mentioned on the site from time to time.

Increases your skill exponentially from what ever level you are at.

Do this... and if you want to practice gybing with a future interest in racing, count down in your head and when you hit zero... turn and deal with whatever the ocean presents.

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Agrid said...

MikeyS said..
Get professional help. I mean, do a course with any of the really good instructors mentioned on the site from time to time.

Increases your skill exponentially from what ever level you are at.

Do this... and if you want to practice gybing with a future interest in racing, count down in your head and when you hit zero... turn and deal with whatever the ocean presents.

... From what number?

As the videos all say " where the head goes the body will follow"
top tip i would say,
personal experience works with tacks, gybes, loops, and my poor freestyle

Sail with the high clew eyelet.

It may appear different and slower when first trying,but it adds so much low end power to the sail.

I now actually find it faster in the gusts too---as it greatly reduces board lift.

Dont know how I sailed all those years using the low eyelet.

Long harness lines

1) Sunscreen. forgot that once and got fried

2) Get a tub to store all your bits in. That way you should never forget stuff unless to forget to pack the tub

3) Buy a new universal joint every season (dependent on season use so maybe every second), it's like an insurance policy. Cheaper than losing a rig if your trusty old one breaks. It was suggested to me by an old sailor who broke one a long way from home and lost ALL his kit, had a very long frightening swim.

4) Guy Cribb intuition course....worth it

5) Small esky for beers (as mentioned a few times) Salt with a beer chaser . Not too many beers remember you need to drive home to your family and return to the beach for the next session

Sail with a bit of backhand pull. The back hand is like your accelerator!

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N1GEL said..
Sail with a bit of backhand pull. The back hand is like your accelerator!

I have to disagree as I'm the opposite Nigel. I set my harness lines slightly to the rear of COE as the sail is in a much more powerful position and I can trim the sail much easier than if I had back hand pressure (this is of course for slalom / speed sailing). Each to their own I suppose. Only time I consider moving lines further forward (in front of COE) is if I'm going to do deep downwind runs as it's less tiring on the leading arm and body position is different as sail is sheeted out further than if normally sailing square.

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sausage said..

N1GEL said..
Sail with a bit of backhand pull. The back hand is like your accelerator!

I have to disagree as I'm the opposite Nigel. I set my harness lines slightly to the rear of COE as the sail is in a much more powerful position and I can trim the sail much easier than if I had back hand pressure (this is of course for slalom / speed sailing). Each to their own I suppose. Only time I consider moving lines further forward (in front of COE) is if I'm going to do deep downwind runs as it's less tiring on the leading arm and body position is different as sail is sheeted out further than if normally sailing square.

Yeah, I used to sail with heaps of front hand because I hated feeling like I was going to get flung over the front when a massive gust hit. But, not that long ago, I was advised by a respected sailor to move my lines a bit more forward. I tried it with some reluctance, but it felt good after a few runs... I find it's much better with bare-aways, going deep off the wind like you say... it helps to sheet out. The difference between my front and back hand is pretty marginal (only a slight backhand bias), where as it used to be very heavily weighted on my front and I'd get crazy forearm burn. I find I can sail a lot, lot further now than I used to. I'm pretty sure Guy Cribb recommends more front hand though, so there you go. Everyone is different.

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sausage said...

N1GEL said..
Sail with a bit of backhand pull. The back hand is like your accelerator!

I have to disagree as I'm the opposite Nigel. I set my harness lines slightly to the rear of COE as the sail is in a much more powerful position and I can trim the sail much easier than if I had back hand pressure (this is of course for slalom / speed sailing). Each to their own I suppose. Only time I consider moving lines further forward (in front of COE) is if I'm going to do deep downwind runs as it's less tiring on the leading arm and body position is different as sail is sheeted out further than if normally sailing square.

Cribby applauds you Sausage

Sail as much as you can

Drag you feet through weed
Evil painful beasts lay in waiting

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N1GEL said..

sausage said..

N1GEL said..
Sail with a bit of backhand pull. The back hand is like your accelerator!

I have to disagree as I'm the opposite Nigel. I set my harness lines slightly to the rear of COE as the sail is in a much more powerful position and I can trim the sail much easier than if I had back hand pressure (this is of course for slalom / speed sailing). Each to their own I suppose. Only time I consider moving lines further forward (in front of COE) is if I'm going to do deep downwind runs as it's less tiring on the leading arm and body position is different as sail is sheeted out further than if normally sailing square.

Yeah, I used to sail with heaps of front hand because I hated feeling like I was going to get flung over the front when a massive gust hit. But, not that long ago, I was advised by a respected sailor to move my lines a bit more forward. I tried it with some reluctance, but it felt good after a few runs... I find it's much better with bare-aways, going deep off the wind like you say... it helps to sheet out. The difference between my front and back hand is pretty marginal (only a slight backhand bias), where as it used to be very heavily weighted on my front and I'd get crazy forearm burn. I find I can sail a lot, lot further now than I used to. I'm pretty sure Guy Cribb recommends more front hand though, so there you go. Everyone is different.

I'm pretty sure with Guy's setup you shouldn't be able to take your front hand off the boom..

What do you call two sailing vessels in same area of water going same direction?

A Race.


More downhaul equals more control.
less outhaul equals more power.

and most of the time spinout is caused by bad sail tuning not too small a fin.

Smile

When in doubt - hit it with speed.

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N1GEL said..
Sail with a bit of backhand pull. The back hand is like your accelerator!

sorry but worst advice ever for somebody going down to a FSW or wave for first time. This setup requires backfoot pressure to acheive the backhand pressure and you will spin out all the time and struggle to plane or get upwind.