Boardsailing

[Don Guillette]

Last week I was visiting Puerto Penasco, Mexico (Rocky Point to us in AZ). It's about 4 hours from Tucson. There was a board sailor on the beach and as I watched him sail the thing I thought that looks pretty simple if you have some idea of what sail trim is all about -- I later found out how simple it isn't.

I wondered by and the board owner asked if I'd like to give it a try. He gave me a few tips, which come to find out weren't barely enough, and off I went. Men, as opposed to woman, don't listen to directions very well anyway. My first problem was getting started. That took a while because I kept falling off. Finally I managed to stand on the board and it took off. I did pretty good sailing a straight course but I didn't know how to tack. I just fell off and turned the board around. Now I'm going downwind and I don't know how to gybe the thing so I just fell off and turned the board around. By now I'm getting pretty good at getting started.

Come to find out by trial and error, board sailing seems to be all about technique rather than strength or ability and obviously the ability to tack and gybe is very important. I need a lot more practice.

"The road goes on forever and the party never ends"

 

[CalebD]

Congrats to you Don for getting the board to sail at all.
It looks so easy but that is far from the reality.
When I was in my early 20's and learning to 'windsurf' there was a saying that you had to do your '100 falls' in order to begin to get the hang of it. It can get tiring having to pull the mast and sail up over and over again.
Once I got my own windsurfer I learned to tack but I found jibing even more difficult to master.
Since the mast rotates through a 180 degree plane the dynamics are a bit different then just adding some forward or aft rake to a fixed mast. I can remember being harnessed to the boom, charging along with my body just above the waters surface on the windward side. I could intentionally get my but wet if I stuck it out far enough.
It is a tough balancing act.

 

[patrickfarley]

I started windsurfing in 1987 after watching them pass me up day after day. Windsurfed everyday for years, almost all year long, until it was so cold that my toes lost all feeling(California). Few things are more fun than hooking in and flying across the water. I still windsurf a little but mostly just to teach other people. I was able to teach my older daughter last year and the younger one may be big enough this year.
As for me, now days I like to be able to anchor and take a nap.
Never did find the below deck on a windsurfer.

The trick to learning to windsurf is to listen to the lesson. Try for 2 hours and then come back the next day. While you sleep your body figures out how to stand on the board and hold the sail. Then you can really start learning without falling your 100 times.

 

[Nodak7]

Don, after having windsurfed for 20 years the two things I can tell you is that it is TOW (time on water) that counts and that teaches your muscles to respond without thinking about it. Very much like riding a bicycle. You don't think about what you are doing your muscles just react. Once you have that then the rest will come like trimming the sail and stance and technique. I loved it and it was great fun but it is an individuals sport. I enjoy sailing our boat, with my wife, much more than I did windsurfing by myself.

 

[Stu Jackson]

I learned in Hawaii on our honeymoon. Yup, NOT to get away from her or anything...

Light winds make a BIG difference. A few years later I went on SF Bay and spent the say in the mud!

Good idea about the two-day approach.

 

[timvg]

Windsurfing taught time great deal about sail trim, apparent wind, and much more. Whne you're on a 8.5 ft board and doing 20 knots, it's a different experience.

But assuing you're on a floaty long board at sub planing speeds, just steer with your sail. Move the entire mast forward to go downwind and move the entire mast back to go upwind. When sailing downwind (assuming you're on a port tack, you'll actually be moving the mast to the left to go right (think about it).