i seem to always get knocked off the board as i push the mast around and force the clew through the eye of the wind?

if you look at the first image on the guy cribb site. www.guycribb.com/userfiles/documents/heli-tack.pdf
once i get to this position i get knocked off the board.

any tips?

I can't help you with how to catch a flipping rig but today I did notice a big difference in how close I got to finishing this move when I moved the front foot first. I think Guy Cribb calls it "the twist."

Was trying for about half an hour lifting my back foot first and simply spun off the board every time.

i think your onto something there. i do spin off the board.

i learnt them on a board 2times litres of my weight and with a 4.2m sail ... and first trying them on the shore by takeing fin out and pointing board directaly into the wind .... the i attenpted in like 5 knots of wind .. i found that as u go to spin the clew thru the wind right before sheeting on theright side to sail away ... u have to relax and every time i tried to force the sail to spin faster only reasulted in a swim ... also try not moveing ur feet and coming out clew first and flipping later ? but im no were near an expert

front hand right to the front of the boom will make the sail rotate cleanly without throwing you off.

not sure when i move my feet, i think the same time as when i flip the rig. might have to be something to work on so i make more of my heli's.

If your feet and board are in the right position, then I always recommend falling the other way, just in order to find the in-between point.

There are 2 main dimensions - leeward-windward, and bow-stern. Exaggerate both until you find the mid-point.
Daggy advice, huh ?

I taught someone this summer. His board and feet were alright, but he kept falling astern on the rotation. Got him to exaggerate the rotation towards the front. Took about 25 falls, then he found the magic point and was fine henceforth (?).

I like to do heli tacks- reasonably flat water, (board litres my weight+25) but I found looking at the Guy Cribb website not hugely helpful when trying to work out how to help you.
I think the key is to give yourself room. Front reasonably extended and back arm extended but sheeting in and out when you are front to sail manoeuvring the nose through the wind. The fourth photo on page 2 is sort of what I am talking about. I reckon if you find yourself as close to the sail as the very first photo for more than a fraction of a second you are going to fail.
It is a manoeuvre I love as it gives me something to do while waiting for the wind to pick up!

cheers for all the tips. i'll give every bit a try. it's been a long time trying these and i can't seem to grab them.

board is 10lt less than body weight and i try them in 15 knots. i used to be able to do them on the one designs back when od was cool but the translation to small kit is not happening for me.

i can tack the board so i'm sure i'll get it in time.

The rig flip, going from steady lee side sailing, is a combination of dip the mast with a sheeting out slightly (ie sheeting towards you) and a little bit of slice the rig forward as you push the clue down and then immediately pull the mast upright. You step your front foot back as you push the clew through. The mast goes through a conical sweep ending up upright before the rig is half rotated.
Because you are stepping as you are rotating you have no firm footing through the critical bit of the flip. It's a one go all or nothing thing. If you push too hard on the clew the mast can sweep too far forwards and you fall towards the front. If you don't give it enough you fall towards the back. As Pierre says you have to find that balance. You may be able to do dry land practice. Its probably a good idea because there are other ways you can muck them up too. A big board gives you a much bigger window for success.

With the step its a good idea to get a consistent step working and then adjust the rest of the move to fit that. On a big board you can develop a bad habit of ending up with a foot either side of the mast foot. That doesn't work on small boards I have discovered :)


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It just occurred to me something that helps is to think of it as rotating about your back foot. The footwork that works for me is (starting from steady lee side sailing) to first step the back foot a bit towards the mast foot and twist it so the foot points more towards the mast foot. You are briefly knock kneed, then step the front foot around as you rotate with the rig.

this works for me -->

leave hands in normal sailing position on boom but put back hand a couple of inches down back of boom a bit more for wider grip. Put front foot just in front of mast and back foot between front and back footstraps

apply most of the backwinding pressure with the front hand only and just use back hand to trim the sail as this pushes the nose of board around through wind more easily without u getting blown off backwards

then when you are virtually parallel to the the wind backwinded, quickly slide the front hand up to mast along the boom and do the normal step gybe feet dance but end with your front foot just in front of mast, all while taking the sail with you as your body rotates. You're now sailing clew first with a wide stance and wide arms to cope with the pull of the sail, and then you can just flip the rig whenever you are ready like a light wind non planing gybe

and if all else fails, ask davecta coz he is the helitak king

^ davects is the king that's for sure. he also does that sexy board 360 heli thingy.

I've also been trying to perfect the heli tack but still at the sailing back-winded stage and trying to control the rig/board. Small sail big board works best at the moment. Havn't attempted the later part of the move as yet but the Jem Hall DVD beginner to winner has a good chapter on the Heli Tack which is found very helpful.

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Haircut said...

this works for me -->

apply most of the backwinding pressure with the front hand only and just use back hand to trim the sail as this pushes the nose of board around through wind more easily without u getting blown off backwards

This is the key!!! (to many other freestyle moves too).

If you're struggling with the rotation then you're probably trying to do it too early. Stay backwinded with the front arm extended and back arm in until you are well through the tack (even on a reach on the new tack)... then flip the rig - be sure to pull the mast to windward as you flip (which is helped by sliding your hand right up to the mast as the sail flips...but not before).

Try some upwind 360s (out of footstraps to begin with) and backwinded sailing - these are the next steps after heli tack but trying/practicing these will help to improve helitack....

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evets said...

I like to do heli tacks- reasonably flat water, (board litres my weight+25) but I found looking at the Guy Cribb website not hugely helpful when trying to work out how to help you.
I think the key is to give yourself room. Front reasonably extended and back arm extended but sheeting in and out when you are front to sail manoeuvring the nose through the wind. The fourth photo on page 2 is sort of what I am talking about. I reckon if you find yourself as close to the sail as the very first photo for more than a fraction of a second you are going to fail.
It is a manoeuvre I love as it gives me something to do while waiting for the wind to pick up!

What Steve's not mentioning here is he has been doing this with his slalom kit

Watching him flick around a 7.8m RS Slalom on a 100L I sonic is quite impressive to watch

Give me a nice easy Helitack over a planing Grubby any day of the week - not!

It's all been pretty much covered but I have never really thought about my feet. Just pushing the rig forward should help.

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ejmack said...

the Jem Hall DVD beginner to winner has a good chapter on the Heli Tack which is found very helpful.

i'd be wary. apparently he's responsible for writing the fast-track-your-way-to-a-giant-bruise-down-one-side-of-your-body jump, sheetin, lookback type instructions from the "feed your soul freestyle" dvd

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Haircut said...

ejmack said...

the Jem Hall DVD beginner to winner has a good chapter on the Heli Tack which is found very helpful.

i'd be wary. apparently he's responsible for writing the 3 step jump, sheetin, lookback forward loop instructions from the "feed your soul freestyle" dvd

err... what's wrong with that?

nothing a dvd with lars petersons voice combined with jem's over simplistic distructions is always entertaining

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Haircut said...

nothing a dvd with lars petersons voice combined with jem's over simplistic distructions is always entertaining

yes, i followed that advice.......the results are posted in the tales of hurt section.

i think the 7 sons of freestyle - as recommended to me by haircut - has a much better loop instruction that eases you into it.

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i think the 7 sons of freestyle - as recommended to me by haircut - has a much better loop instruction that eases you into it.

HI Gesty, do you have a copy of this??
cheers

yeah, dave and i swapped a few movies about a month ago. so i have it but it's his. probably due to give it back to him also.

edit** i just bought the original addicted to ride on ebay if you want to watch it