34 COACHING FUNDAMENTALS
Boom length
Adjust the boom as per the printed guide settings on the sail
(or just estimate it for now) and connect it to the mast
roughly at your correct height (boom clamp rope length
0.5m), thread the outhaul (length 1.0m) and tension it just a
little to take up the slack. We are not finished yet with boom
height or outhaul!
Mast foot, boom height and outhaul
Position your mast foot on the board at 130, 135 or 140
and connect your rig. These numbers are measurements in
centimetres from the tail of the board and, by working with a
known measurement from the tail we are able to begin to
standardise our setup. Some specialist, longer and/or older
boards may not suit these settings but, as a rule of thumb
for a modern freeride board, they work pretty well.
• 130: boards of 110 litres or less
• 135: boards of 110-170 litres
• 140: boards of 170 litres or more (especially those with
a daggerboard)
Where do most people actually put their mastfoot? ‘In the
middle of the mast track’ of course. Well this might work out
ok but different ages and types of board from different
manufacturers all have slight differences in the length and
position of the mast track. So putting it in the middle on
every board you use may actually mean that you are
unknowingly putting it in a random position each time you go
windsurfing on different kit. Some modern boards have
measurements printed next to the mast tracks – but some
don’t – and some are a bit out! So be a geek and get your
tape measure out. If it’s your own board then put a small line
or dot on your board at the standard measurement and
position it so that you can still see it when the mastfoot is in
the track. If it’s a hire board (and you don’t fancy asking
them to ink-up all their boards) then measure – just once –
the one you will be using the most and make a mental note
of where on the mast track the mark comes to. It could be,
for example, ‘just a little forward of the middle of the mast
track’ or ‘about 4cm from the back of the mast track’ which
should be pretty easy to remember.
So let’s say you have put the mastfoot on the 135 mark of
your 130-litre board. Now you can connect your rig, put your
board on a mat, pad or board bag and carefully stand on it
next to the mast (no fin yet). Then adjust the boom height to
where you prefer it. This should be from just under shoulder
height on average (going a bit lower in very strong winds for
control and a bit higher in very light winds for power).
Keeping board and rig connected, step off and lay the rig
over the tail of the board to discover where the boom is
positioned relative to it (as shown in the photo above right).
Marking your mast track is the first step to
standardising your tuning and understanding the
relationship between mastfoot, boom height and
outhaul
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WIND
SURFING
Your boom may, for example, ‘line up with the tail of the
board’ or be ‘a few centimetres off the tail’ or ‘1 centimetre
inboard from the tail’. Wherever it is will become your
standard setting and you will use this to get started with