Just wondering what general height people have their booms? I have some more user friendly gear now so I'll have more options and I want to try and improve my sailing..

Have you already forgotten what Guy taught you about boom height?

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DavMen said..
Have you already forgotten what Guy taught you about boom height?

Beat me by a whisker

Dunno what Cribby recommends, but usually run mine at shoulder/chin height.

High enough to provide lift to fly the fin without getting out of control

Boom height is not just about the position on the mast. It is very dependent on a number of other things:
The big one is the height of the clew in the sailing position. If the rig is raked back so the clew is very low, the mast end will need to be higher.
If it is a wave sail with a high clew, the mast end will need to be lower, similar with a 'freeride' sail.
If you are sailing in the waves you will need the boom lower again so you are not too stretched out in bottom turns.
The most important thing to think about on a Speed/Slalom sail is where the boom is when in the sailing position, fully planing, at the points where your harness lines and hands are on it.

There are many exceptions to the so called 'Rules' that some windsurfing schools teach. They are only a guide for the average type of Freeride/Wave sail on Freeride gear that most beginner/Intermediates use for the classes. Don't get too hung up on what they 'teach', but use it as a good starting guide and work it out from there.

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DavMen said..
Have you already forgotten what Guy taught you about boom height?

I've been using that but I was wondering if his height ( under armpit on the land) is the sort of height speedsailors use or it doesn't matter what discipline?
Funny theoretically that should have made it at neck height but often it seemed to be more chin height..I couldn't lower it any more as i was at the bottom of the cutout. I'll have to pay more attention to exactly where it is next time I sail ..
Thanks Sailquick...so it's just a feel thing?

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sboardcrazy said..

DavMen said..
Have you already forgotten what Guy taught you about boom height?

I've been using that but I was wondering if his height ( under armpit on the land) is the sort of height speedsailors use or it doesn't matter what discipline?
Funny theoretically that should have made it at neck height but often it seemed to be more chin height..I couldn't lower it any more as i was at the bottom of the cutout. I'll have to pay more attention to exactly where it is next time I sail ..
Thanks Sailquick...so it's just a feel thing?

Under armpit on land is a good starting point. However, optimum position for a particular sailing session depends on:
- location (backward and forward) of mast base
- whether you are under, nicely or overpowered with a particular board / sail / fin combination in the current wind condition
- water state (flat or choppy)
Experiment by moving the boom head up or down during a session to find the optimum position

It's the vibe and, aah no that's it, it's the vibe. I rest my case.

I'm with you agrid, classic

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sboardcrazy said..

Thanks Sailquik...so it's just a feel thing?

No: There are definite advantages to lots of things that can 'feel' wrong/unfamiliar at first because you are not used to that feeling. This why it is so often so hard to learn a better technique or a new skill when you are so used to doing it the old way.

That is, just because it feels good, does not necessarily mean it is good. (Hmmm, you can probably think of other totally unrelated topics where this is also true! - but I digress ....)

In the end it is about the best body position in relation to the sail for maximum leverage and efficiency in a particular set of circumstances. That is why it is so hard to have black and white 'rules' for such things.

That said, there are many sailors who use very different looking stances and boom heights and still end up going very well. It is amazing how adaptable the human body is!

After regularly trying to push my F1 RB to 30kts ive played alot with sail tune. Ezzy 8m cheetah. Normal conditions (15kt) DH at medium OH at medium. Boom top at position 5 on sail. (underarm height rigging) nice n comfy im 189cm. (Chin height sailing).However over 18kts the big RB starts lifting the windward rail on the gusts. Tried different OH n DH but couldnt find sail tune i reqd. (maximum controllable power) So dropped boom about 25mm to 4.5 on sail. AMAZING!!! Sail has same power but produces less lift/ rolling moment on board. Great control.Much easier to sail powered to the max. Allows me to keep running a big fin in higher winds. Really does add another arrow to your tuning quiver.
Yet another excuse for more TOW "experimenting".
+1 for boom Tweaking.

Yep now I have a board with a concave deck that sets the sail lower I can run the boom higher in the cutout for normal sailing so if i get overpowered I can lower it... Previously it was right at the bottom with nowhere to go..