Windsurfing Magazine

kristin
2008-04-03 07:32:31 | 235 views | 0 Comments

The ability to steer confidently and return to the spot at which you begin your sail is the first major challenge you're likely to encounter as a beginning windsurfer as well as a prerequisite skill for continuing on with the sport's learning curve.

Generally, we begin the lesson of steering with some basic principles about wind: The direction from which the wind is coming is called “upwind,” and the direction to which the wind is blowing is called “downwind.”

A simple way to grasp the concept of upwind and downwind is to compare it to the concept of uphill and downhill. Just as it's easier to travel downhill than uphill while running or biking or skiing, etc., most beginners will naturally sail downwind more often than upwind.

However, the difficulties arise when the new sailor wishes to return to where he started, and to get there, he has to sail upwind. Here are a few tips to get you going.

Always look forward to where you want to go. It's easy to lose track of direction and drift downwind if you're focusing downwind. Imagine a new driver looking for the pedals or gearshift while he's driving.

Next, begin by lining up your board across the wind. To sail in a straight line, raise the clew off the water by tilting the mast upwind. As the sail comes over the center of the board, it should begin to feel light. Now, power up by gently sheeting in on the boom, and off you go.

To turn the board upwind, lower the clew by tilting the mast away from the wind, which will allow the sail to open slightly. Holding the clew in this low position will continue turning the board upwind until you get to the direction that you want to go. If the board goes too far upwind, the sail will lose power and the board will stall. This is like trying to ski uphill.

If you feel the sail losing power, lift the clew up higher by tilting the mast upwind. (It's extremely important to pull in gently on the boom any time you raise the clew.) As the sail regains power, the board will turn away from the wind and speed up.

Practice these concepts on the water. Although they're not difficult to master, they are imperative to getting back to where you started as well as continuing on and learning new windsurfing maneuvers.