10 COACHING WINDWISE TECHNIQUE
Mission 1: learn to uphaul properly –
Windwise Warrior style!
I’ve always suggested that ‘we’ need to change the way
beginners are taught to uphaul. Standing with your feet
across the board, elevating the rig out of the water at 90
degrees to the board into the ‘secure position’ is incredibly
tiring and virtually impossible on rough water and smaller
boards. Why? Because the ‘insecure’ position uphauling
and getting going across the wind encourages the sail to be
pulled to windward to sheet in and this often leads you to
looking at your hands to sheet the rig in, both of which
destroy stability, control and tack or gybe endings! So
promise me from now on you’ll use your Windwise Warrior
uphaul technique here.
Close reach, NOT beam reach
Before attempting to release the sail from the water, turn
the board virtually into the wind onto a ‘very close reach’ –
NOT across the wind on a beam reach. Angling the rig and
board more into wind ensures that the rig comes out of the
water from the back to the front of the board, which helps
to sheet the rig in more easily. More importantly, when you
venture into rougher conditions or smaller boards, it’s far
more stable to point the board into wind and chop/waves
with a Warrior stance than it is trying to balance standing
upright across the wind, side onto the chop/waves. On wide
boards or heavy sails move your feet well outboard to tilt
the board and give maximum leverage against the sail.
Windwise Warrior stance and vision
Our ‘Warrior’ ethos is all about ‘looking and leaning’ over a
heavily flexed front knee with your chin on your forward
shoulder’. Our powerful Warrior stance means far less effort
uk
WIND
SURFING
to uphaul and simulates the body position for tacks. Most
importantly work on your Vision, never look at your hands
when you grab the boom – not easy but a vital part of
exiting tacks and gybes.
Mission 2: master ‘daggerless’ sailing
Sailing upwind, without a daggerboard, is key to creating a
positive environment to get clean wind, space to gybe and
prepares you for using ‘smaller’ dedicated planing boards in
the very near future. Get amazing at it now!
Vision: As ever, look and upwind, ‘chin on shoulder’ touch
point.
DIG your board: The front foot must point forward and be
placed very near the windward edge of the board to DIG the
windward rail into the water to create grip to stay upwind.
Opposition and ‘7’ shaped stance: Keep a good distance
from the mast with an extended front arm as you gently
sheet in to sail upwind, digging that rail!