Technique help please.

I've been at Coros a few times and seen pro sailors pulling aerials and really big top turns on the wave.

I can't do it - the wind angle means I'm struggling to find the speed to copy this.

The question I have is what's the secret? Other than being really, ridiculously good and talented.

Scenario:

I'm on the wave, can see a little section downwind that might be suitable. Turn downwind. Because of the wind angle by the time I'm coming back up the wave for the top turn or aerial I don't have enough speed or power to do very much.

I haven't had much time to study the technique of the guys and girls who are pulling this off, so it's a bit of a mystery to me.

Are they sailing flat out over the back of the wave and onto the wave as they turn downwind in order to carry the speed to do this? Seems unlikely.

Are they pumping like crazy to get the speed up? Also seems unlikely.

Are they sailing well over-powered? Also seems unlikely!

Thoughts welcomed.

PS - In this thread there's a photo that illustrates what I'm on about.
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/General/Last-Friday-Corros/

I had the same problem at corros, the wave doesn't peel off all that well and the wind is too onshore. I found really sheeting out as you come out of the bottom turn helped, but still not much power. The best rides I've had are on a peak, alternately doing reos on forehand and backhand, that way I managed to keep a bit of speed up.
I was going to say that good surfers can get aerials without a sail, so maybe it's through using wave power more than sail power, but most of the left handers there just crumble, there isn't that much power in the wave.
It's the same here, hardly any wind and I can only get planing on a fairly steep wave, but the pros are still doing forward loops!
Maybe it's just talent.

I am no expert by any means, and my wave riding suffers too as a result. Weight too much over the back foot rather than over the front?

From all of the technique articles and videos I have watched that is the biggest board speed killer

sailed Corros a few years back was surprised how some of the top sailors were wave riding so well in small-medium waves.

I noticed:
- good board speed (helps with tri/quads)
- front foot pressure/really lean into turn & stay close to sail
- smaller bottom turn (keeps speed)
- extend back hand & release sail at top turn & drive rear foot (destroy the wave!)

Larger waves make reo's easier as you can counter balance from the wave.

Aerials slight pop/launch off wave at critcal point - easy

I guess this can apply to side shore & X off sailing except sail will be more forgiving.

Thanks for the replies.

The board speed thing is the killer for me - trying (and failing) to make sure I've got enough of it when going down the line in cross-on conditions.

I think I may have figured it out though. I'll get up there in the next couple of weeks and report back.

I often get asked this question

Coros is basically cross shore and offers an exceptional variety of back hand and forehand aerials in combination with the ability to do all the windsurfing jumps.

Is coronation cross offshore..... well in the true definition NO

To ride coronation one has to generate speed out of wave , when you bottom turn you often will be left with less power in the rig 3/4 of the way around your down wind turn ,you have to counter act this by driving your board and twisting your body and opening your clew to catch the wind for your top turn and aerial.

Obviously coros has several sections of reef that works better with different size swells and direction and some days are harder than others to do forehand aerials but you can nearly alway get a cut back and or slide with good timing and use of the wind.

Simply the best approach and advise i give is with coros is this .......................

1. You have to hit the first throwing section of the wave you are riding. back hand or forehand especially here as it quickly fades to half the size for that days swell.


..............often you will find your self cutting up wind riding back hand, then trying a bottom turn either after its broken.

So by the time you come around for your top turn the wave has faded and you thus LOSE DRIVE from your board and rig and find the wind to onshore, this is due to the fact the arce you are hoping to draw from riding backhand to forehand is to big


this does not give you the ability to drop in to the wave / open up the face and options for you to ride down wind with a more open clew ............so sail further out , get upwind give your self room to bottom turn on the outside / middle bowl before you head into the inside.

So even if your not getting an aerial your at least bottom turning and cutting back in the bowlly sections......... which i think is one of the highlights feelings sailing coros

The combination of the Tide ,swell,wind strength and direction at different times of the day/year gives the rider more or less options to initiate backside or front hand aerials

see that extra session may have been the session for better forehand aerials or was that session better for backhand ones

Stuff all that im going jumping
No stuff all that im just fanging around and doing some jibes

Now im confused i might sit in the car park and watch

What KOTP said.
Video here might help.
http://mpora.com/videos/AAd8w8a7t814#I2FbSWalI6MLDuQq.97
Can't seem to embed video so here are some screenshots
You will see the backhand stall to be at the top of the wave

and pivot the board more across the face than down it.

Then sailing clew first (power in the sail rather than lay down depower) with the back hand well down the boom and the body really committed to the inside of the turn (twisted) and a steep section will help project you back around.

Thanks everyone for your input.

KOTP - that really helps. That was the answer I was looking for. Thank you. Looking forward to getting up there asap to put this into practice.

Cheers!

KOTP is as local as they get at Corro's so he sailed there more than anyone and has it well figured out, sometimes he hits the reef at full speed but most of the time is all over it.

The place does get fun once you figure it out.

I find if I do a bottom turn and try to keep every bit of speed I can and head back at the wave pretty much sailing as fast as possible clew first and switch stance, you have a heap of speed to do a sweet top turn, and even an air if you time everything right.

But you do have to be well powered to have good speed on the waves.