Windsurfing Magazine

kristin
2008-04-03 10:23:39 | 241 views | 0 Comments

Backward beach starting saves expensive fins from bottom rash, and allows you to sail away in very shallow water. Plus, it looks cool!

The technique starts with a setup similar to that of the normal beach start, except you put the tail of the board where the nose is usually located. Then, with the nose of the board right by your back leg and bearing off a little more than usual, step onto the board with your back foot, placing it precisely on the centerline. Next, as you step up with the front foot, pull the board under your body with your rear foot.

Quickly transfer your body weight from your back leg to your forward leg and tilt the mast heavily toward the tail and to windward. At this point the slightest bit of pressure placed back toward your rear foot will send the board spinning around like a boomerang. Sheet in gently and sink the windward rail to improve tracking.

One of the problems with maintaining control during helicopter tacks and other spinning tricks is that the sail goes from pulling you to pushing you and back to pulling you in a matter of a second or two. And while most sailors can cope pretty well with the pull of a sail, it's that backwind pressure when you're on the lee side that usually ends up getting you wet.

The solution? Keep your mast-arm elbow up.

Not only does this position give you better leverage over both the push of a backwinding sail and the pull of one that's falling away from you via the weight of the mast, but it keeps the sail at a comfortable distance from your body.

An elbow-up position will give you plenty of notice that the sail is getting too far out of whack one way or the other because it doesn't feel comfortable being pushed too far into the body or extended too far away. Try it; it makes all the difference in the world.