Windsurfing Magazine

kristin
2008-04-03 06:15:34 | 463 views | 0 Comments

Ideally, use the floatiest board you can sail, preferably with a centerboard, and use a 5-foot line with about three feet of quarter-inch bungie, with a bulky knot in the end for the rescuee to hold. Otherwise, any 9-foot-long line will do.

Tie a loop the size of a baseball on one end so it fits loosely around the mast foot. Place the rest of the line into the boom cutout of the sail so it's out of the way while you sail to the rescuee. Very often you'll have to disassemble someone else's rig, so being familiar with the self-rescue is important. Also, in cold weather, hypothermia is a concern, so act quickly and tow to the shore that's easiest to reach.

Sail toward the rescuee from the leeward side and from slightly downwind, so you're heading up into the wind and slowing down. If the water is rough, drop your sail to leeward and help the rescuee get ready for rescue. While the rescuee places the rig on top of his board, straddle your board and hold his so he can climb on top of the whole pile.

When towing someone, you can either tow by having the rescuee hold one of your foot straps (the windward reaching strap preferably), or by using the towing line, which the rescuee holds. NEVER tie the tow line to the board.

Once underway, hold the mast with your front hand and keep it there for the duration of the rescue. Gently trim the sail with your backhand so you gradually build speed and momentum. Don't hold the boom with your front hand because you'll power the sail too much and drag the rescuee into the water.

On shortboards, a rescue should not require a lot of upwind tacking. Because the board can't plane while towing, it drags along, resulting in poor upwind ability.