waterstarting

Question
Hi there,

my question regards waterstarting,, i am am reasonable good in moderate winds at waterstarts but get overpowered in stronger wind (  20knots up )when being pulled out of water.  Have you any tips for this please?

Another question is what effect does moving the fin forward on the board make ?  My board is a techno 272  used mainly 4 slalom . weight  74kg.

cheers  geoffrey

Answer
Hello Geoffrey,

Not knowing your current techniques, I'll try to cover the bases. The easiest way to waterstart in light to moderate winds is with just your back foot on the board. Forward arm should be fully extended with the back arm sheeting in and controlling the sail. Board should be a bit off wind. As you come out of the water, you can kick your forward leg to help you get the board moving, the sail more upright, and get your body up over the board.

Now if this is your usual method of waterstarting, doing this in higher wind will cause you to be overpowered. The reason for getting pitched in higher winds is just a matter of YOU being overbalanced. Counter balancing the sail is just a matter of proper body positioning.

Here are some tips that should help you overcome and conquer high wind waterstarts. Basically you get into the same position with the sail flying and the board off wind. Now put BOTH feet on the board. Back foot just in front of the rear strap and the front foot just ahead of the front strap. Forward arm is again extended with the back hand controlling the sail. As the sail starts pulling you out of the water, keep your knees bent and your hips low with your arms extended so that you are hanging down off the boom. Sheet out just a bit as soon as you get up on the board. This depowers the sail a bit and allows you to control it easier.

Keeping your knees bent and hips low will keep your weight low enough to counteract the power of the sail. As your board speed increases, get your front foot in the strap and work on getting into the harness. Sometimes I will get into the harness before the foot strap just to have better control of the sail. This allows me to hang my weight down and out from the sail for better control.

Starting with both feet always takes more wind because you are pulling your entire weight out of the water with the sail. This method should only be for higher winds and the single foot method is best for light and moderate.


Fin position is somewhat determined by sail size and wind conditions. When you have sail and fin matched correctly for the conditions, moving it forward will help you go upwind and minimize spinouts. Moving it back will increase your offwind speed but also increases chance of spinout when trying to point upwind. A good rule of thumb for starting position is this;

Rig sail, adjust harness lines to center of effort of the sail, attach to board and postition mast base for wind conditions (ie, more forward for light winds, more back for higher winds). With the sail laying down, rake sail back until the foot of the sail is touching the tail of the board. Now, eyeball the point on the boom that is centerline between your harness lines and follow that line perpendicular to the fin box. Where this line crosses the fin box is about where the middle of your fis should go. Make minor adjustments forward or back (about 1/4 to 1/2 in. increments) to get optimum control for the conditions.

There are some good videos available for waterstarting and other sailing techniques. Check out anything from Alan Cadiz and also Peter Hart. Here are a few websites that may be of some help to you.

www.windance.com - A Gorge shop (my favorite) with great deals and tons of info on their site.

www.windsurfingmag.com - Windsurfing magazine online, many links to shops, manufacturers, and lots of info.

www.iwindsurf.com - Great source of information. Get signed up and then go to Community. Check the archives in How To for waterstart questions. Lots of good input on all aspects of sailing from sailors all over the world. One of my daily visits on the internet.

Hope this will help you with your high wind waterstarts.

Keep on sailing,
Windlover