how to initiate a plane ?

[kenneth]

Hi

I need some advice on how to get into full planning, especially getting into the foot straps. The problem I have is that the moment I start to move towards the back of the board, I go upwind and lose all the power and end up falling back into the water with the sail on top of me ... this is really frustrating. at this point i am able to hook onto the harness and get into semi planning without getting into the straps. My windsurfing experience is about 7 months.

any help / advice would be appreciated! I need to fully enjoy the experience before spending $ on equipment.

[sukhdev]

quote: The problem I have is that the moment I start to move towards the back of the board, I go upwind and lose all the power and end up falling back into the water with the sail on top of me ... this is really frustrating

This happens for 2 reasons. Firstly your weight is on the outer edge (rails of the board). Secondly there is a tendency to use bent arms to hold the rig close, thus as you move back you are tilting the rig close to you and back. Being on the rail and pulling the rig in towards you are precisely what is needed to make the board turn upwind! That clearly is not your intent so the fixes are:

- consciously keep your feet inboard on the centre line of the board (see the pictures of foot placement on the article at http://www.bluefinz.com/technique/formula/index.html)
- keep the rig away from you. Use the rig to keep the board slightly off the wind.
- Weight your back leg to help the hull to rise over its own wave.
- concentrate on only getting your front foot into the straps, the back foot will eventually take care of itself.

This is really a nutshell only, there are tons of articles on this in past mags.

[kenneth]

Thanks Sukhdev!

If I somehow manage to put my front foot into the straps, where should my back foot end up on the board? center line or rail?

The other point u mentioned is to put weight on the back foot which means bending the back leg slightly... won't this result in your body leaning towards the back of the board automatically instead of having it squarely aligned with the board centerline... as what is mentioned in the stance technique section?

Lastly, at what angle should i exert force on the board thru my foot? i understand that u shud put most of the weight on the rig and very minimal on the board, but somehow i just find that balance rather elusive.

Many Thanks !

[sukhdev]

quote:If I somehow manage to put my front foot into the straps, where should my back foot end up on the board? center line or rail?

Once your front foot is in the straps your back foot should be closer to the rail. Leaving it in the middle would make for an awkward forward twisted stance. let it sit comfortably near the rail just in front of the rear straps; as you gain confidence you will edge it back and once you feel it against the rear strap you can then slide it into the rear straps. Initially keep the rear straps loose so that its easy to get the foot in and out; later you can adjust the straps to the optimal fit.

 

quote:The other point u mentioned is to put weight on the back foot which means bending the back leg slightly... won't this result in your body leaning towards the back of the board automatically instead of having it squarely aligned with the board centerline... as what is mentioned in the stance technique section?

you can exert your weight without bending the leg alot, its more of a subtle rearward shift of weight onto the back foot rather than a huge bent leg stomp. No big awkwards movements, this is precisely what upsets balance.

 

quote:Lastly, at what angle should i exert force on the board thru my foot? i understand that u shud put most of the weight on the rig and very minimal on the board, but somehow i just find that balance rather elusive.

Imagine sailing on your toes all the time with the heels lifted off the deck. The pressure should be through the balls of your feet. At this stage of sailing dont exert any heel pressure. You don't have to lift your heels up to achieve this but be conscious that you are poised on the balls of your feet. Point your toes on the board. Develop this habit early and it will stand you in good stead. Alot of sailors keep too much weight on their heels.

[blackhawk]

Hi Sukhdev,

    I am also facing the same problem of not getting my back foot into the rear foot straps. I am able to get my front foot in first before  hooking into harness. However once i done that, the board start to move very fast and i find it very difficult to shift my back foot into the straps. Often, when i tried to shift, the board will either start to go upwind or sometimes "small catapult" will occur.

Is it because i place too much  weight on the front foot when trying to shift the back foot into the rear straps? How should i correct this?? Btw i am using SB135. Should i dismantle the 2 rear straps and put only one in middle of the board to learn??

Thank you.

[P.J.]

Something you can try. Do not sheet in the sail while trying to put the backfeet in. If you study the body posture , by exerting the backhand you are actually pushing backleg on the rail. That will either kill the plane or rail the nose into the wind.

Try sheeting out a little the moment you slot yr back feet. When you gain speed then try to sheet in yr sail.

[kenneth]

Hi Sukhdev,

Thanks so much for the advice.

I had the opportunity to try out what u suggested and just managed to get my front foot into the straps. The thing is that I find it hard to control when the board starts to plane, especially when it's so choppy and u r bumping up and down on the waves...makes it that much harder to work the foot straps. However I still end up rounding into the wind once I get my back foot in...somehow still can't get that right yet.

But what I realy learned on that 1 day compared to so much water time I had before, was that it is really crucial to keep the rig away from the body and keep as much weight on the harness as possible.

The other question I have is the position of the harness lines, where is the optimal position ? I have mine about "5 hand grips" away from the boom head, but still find that this is too far in front. Also, is the distance between the two ends of the harness line important?

Lastly, what kind of harness do u recommend? I am still using the club harness, a Dakine seat or whatever it's called. I need to buy one, do u hv any Dakine harness in stock?

Tks

[kenneth]

Hi Sukhdev

I missed out one question, that is ... how do u  transition your feet from the centre line of the board to the foot strap? Is it in 1 single step, or do u move it close to the strap first before putting it in?  

Thanks

[sukhdev]

Kenneth,

re harness, I think waist is easier to use at first and when you do get more experienced and are looking for more drive esp with larger sails you can then transition to a hip harness.

Re transition from feet in mid point to the footstrap: it depends on how fast the transition to planing is. If there is sufficent wind to get planing immediately then it should be one smooth transition. Don't worry about the back foot, focus on getting comfortable with the front foot.

[kenneth]

Thanks Sukhdev, u've been a great help