11
STAGE 1:
GETTING PLANING
1
Run through this sequence and
exaggerate everything on the water…
Right skill right time
Photo 1
HEAD UPWIND 1st –
FEET FORWARD
2
Start by coming forward on the board and dig the
windward rail to help get upwind. LOOK, spot gusts, gain
ground and crucially help sheet the rig in. This cunningly
enables you to place the front foot next to mast base
(pointing forward) without being pulled over the front. The
rear foot lives right next to, or in super light winds. even
in front of the front straps!
Photo 2
EXTEND and PUSH –
RIG FORWARD BODY BACK
3
On the gust, extend from leg and mast arm and push the
rig forward, forward, forward! Tighten your torso as if
trying to do a plank. Straighten and drive through the
front leg to drive the board forward. Flex the rear leg to
reduce weight on the tail. Sheet in and down on the
boom as you drive the board just off a beam reach. The
moment the board planes, the common issue is to hunch
too much, flex the arms, legs and weight the tail…slurp!
Do all you can to hold that ‘7’ stance.
Photo 3
LIFT and LOCK
Immediately the board starts to accelerate, hook in. But
be warned, it’s very common to hunch after hooking in,
so accentuate that Straight 7 ‘lift and lock’ style stance,
really straighten and tighten the torso to transfer that
precious power straight through the body to the board.
4
5
Photos 4 and 5
FRONT STRAP =
RIG FORWARD/BODY BACK
The tail will always sink, but we must keep the rig
forward, when going for the front strap! In super light
winds, or if you’re pumping, you can actually slip the front
foot into the strap and then hook in. But either way, note
how the feet are very close together, to help TRIM and
avoid excessively sinking the tail. Once in the front strap,
if there is sufficient wind, you can sink in that harness
and blast away, but often the board stops and slows at
this point, when going for the back strap.
uk
WIND
SURFING