WindDoll

Download how-to-waterstart or read it here.

Updated May 23 2008 to emphasize staying low (squatting) as you come up on the board.

FAQ: When should I try? If you can plane, or almost plane, it’s easy. If you can putt along easily, you have enough wind to waterstart but it takes better technique. (If you’re a freestyler, you can waterstart when there’s just enough wind to lift the sail.)

WAY ONE: CLEAR THE SAIL USING THE TAIL OF YOUR BOARD

1) Stuff the tail of the board under the booms

2) Swim your kit into position

3) Fly the sail

4) Control the board

5) Step up and sail away

WAY TWO: CLEAR THE SAIL WITHOUT USING THE TAIL OF YOUR BOARD

1) Clear and fly the sail

2) Position the board

3) Step up and sail away

CLEARING THE SAIL USING THE TAIL OF YOUR BOARD

1) Swim the tail of the board and the mast together; swim it in a circle until the mast points downwind about 30 degrees and is below the board.

2) Pull the boom head up over the tail with one hand and stuff the tail under the booms with the other. The sail should pop out of the water, or almost.

3) To finish clearing the sail, GO TO instruction A in CLEARING THE SAIL WITHOUT USING THE TAIL OF YOUR BOARD

PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH USING THE TAIL OF YOUR BOARD

o The sail sinks the tail so much that the nose of the board pops way out of the water. Solution: Keep moving on to instruction A in CLEARING THE SAIL WITHOUT USING THE TAIL OF YOUR BOARD

o I struggle to get the tail of my board under the boom. Waves can make this step difficult, but you can use them to your advantage. Solution: Press down on the tail and bring up the sail as the crest of a wave is passing under.

o The booms get caught on the board. Solution: Sneak your front foot up on the board between the straps and use your foot to maneuver the board out from under the booms as you sweep the mast over your head.

CLEARING THE SAIL WITHOUT USING THE TAIL OF YOUR BOARD

Before you start, if the clew is more into the wind than the mast, swim your kit in a circle, mast first, until the mast is leading and about 30 degrees off the wind (you’ll be on A below). It’s easier to swim it ¾ of the way around in the right direction than ¼ in the wrong direction. The right direction is mast first!

A) If the sail lands downwind of your board, grab the mast about two feet above the booms with your upwind arm, sweep it over your head, parallel to the water, and into the wind. (If you’re on a big floaty board and you can’t get the booms over the tail, GO TO step 2 above.)

B) If the sail lands upwind of your board, grab the mast six or more feet above the booms with your upwind arm, sweep it over your head, parallel and up from the water, and more into the wind. Tread water and slide your hand down the mast to the booms.

TROUBLESHOOTING CLEARING THE SAIL

o The clew digs into the water and the sail flips over.

Reason: You lifted up on the mast instead of sweeping it parallel to the water. Lifting up on the mast (or the mast-end of the booms) exposes the sail to the wind before the clew is out of the water, the clew digs in and the sail powers up before you’re ready.

Solution: Start the sweep at 30 degrees off the wind (as opposed to exactly perpendicular)-this allows the whole length of the mast to pass across perpendicular to the wind and gives you extra time to clear the clew. Sweep the sail parallel to the water and then up.

o It’s too heavy for me to lift up.

a) You’re lifting up instead of sweeping.

b) Your mast is to windward when you start. It must be leeward so you can pull it to windward and the wind can get under the whole sail.

c) There isn’t any wind. Do you have enough wind to sail easily? Are you in a hole?

FLY THE SAIL AND CONTROL THE BOARD

We’ve just cleared the sail-the upwind (front) hand is on the mast above the boom.

1) Grab the boom with the back hand behind the harness lines.

2) Jump the front hand to the boom behind the logo (about a foot back from the mast). Front hand is behind sailing position unless you’re really powered.

You’re lying in the water flying the sail. FRONT ARM STRAIGHT BACK ELBOW BENT.

EXERCISE: practice controlling the board for a minute. The board will point the same direction that you point the booms.

A) Press down with your front hand and bend your back elbow. Notice that the nose of the board goes downwind.

B) Press down with your back hand and notice that the nose of the board does upwind.

TROUBLESHOOTING FLYING THE SAIL AND CONTROLLING THE BOARD

o Everything was positioned just right, but the board went all whacky when I lifted the booms off it. Solution: Before you sweep the sail off the tail of the board, sneak your front foot onto the board near the back and hold it in place.

POSITION THE BOARD

If you started with your booms on the tail of your board, after your sweep the mast and fly the sail, position the board perpendicular to the wind. (A little below a beam reach if you’re underpowered, a little above if you’re overpowered.)

Press down on the mast base (front arm straight, elbow not locked, back arm slightly bent) to keep the board from nosing into the wind.

If you started by clearing the sail without attention to your board, now is the time to position it. If it’s not too far out of position, line it up with our exercise of pressing down with the front or back hand. If it’s totally backwards, you can turn it with your feet while you fly the sail. OR you can allow the sail to flip over and simply go the other direction. HINT: If you’re learning to jibe, try your jibe where you’ll have enough room to come up in either direction!

STEP UP

1) If you placed your front foot on the board to stabilize it, take it off and replace it with the back foot. Put your back foot on the board heel slightly to windward of the middle of the board between the straps.

2) Bend your back knee and curl your body into the rig. (Don’t push the tail of the board away from you.) Stretch your front arm up and toward the nose of the board and stretch your front leg back toward the tail. (Don’t kick the fin!)

3) Wait for a puff. Advanced tip: Wait for a wave to lift your body.

Then all at once thrust the sail up and forward and expose it to the wind.

4) Pull the board toward your butt (under your butt is good) with your back foot.

4) With your front hand push the front of the boom toward the nose of the board (your front arm is very straight, but don’t lock your elbow).

4) Sweep your back hand over your head and bend your elbow to sheet in the sail. (The harness lines will be hitting you on the top of the head.)

The sail lifts you up. Put your font foot on the board in the middle between the mast and the footstraps. Roll up on the board, keeping your body low. You’re standing on the board. Wahoo!

TROUBLESHOOTING STEPPING UP ONTO THE BOARD

o The sail just comes back down on my head.

a) Your hands are too far forward on the booms. Move them back a good six inches and see what happens.

b) You pulled the sail down on you like you were doing a chin-up instead of thrusting it up into the wind. Look at the board and curl your body in.

c) There’s no wind. Before you tried to get up, was the wind holding up the sail easily? If not, 1) wait for a puff OR 2) give it up and uphaul.

o I can almost get up but not quite.

a) Kick like crazy with your front foot, down and back, don’t kick the fin.

b) Switch to your front foot on the board, heel on the board between the front straps and the mast, slightly to windward of the centerline. This position allows you to get the sail a little more up and forward for a little more power BUT it’s harder to control and get underway once you’re up. Kick like crazy with your back foot, down, don’t kick the fin.

o I’m flying the sail, but then I don’t seem to get a puff. Reason: The board is sliding sideways with the wind, so there’s no wind pressure in the sail. Did you put both feet on the board? You need one leg in the water for an anchor.

o I get pulled over the nose of the board.

a) Use your back foot on the board.

b) Keep your body back more toward the tail as you fly the sail and let it pull you up.

c) Position the board more parallel with the wind or even point the nose upwind a bit. (You’ll get pulled over if the board it pointed too downwind.)

d) Move your hands forward about 3 inches on the booms. (You de-power the sail with your hands closer to the mast.)

e) Bend your elbows to keep the sail lower and less of it exposed to the wind.

f) You’re overpowered. Point the board slightly upwind before you try to get up. Start with both feet on the board (overpowered and coral are the only reasons to start with both feet on the board). Start with the back foot in the back strap. Start with both feet in the straps. Start with both feet in the straps and hooked in! If you’re this far gone, that’s REALLY overpowered and you’d better head for shore.)

o The board rounds up wind.

a) Thrust your front hand toward the nose and scoop your back hand up over your head bending your back elbow.

b) Press down on the mast base with your front hand.

c) Pull the tail of the board toward your butt with your back foot.

d) Last resort: If you’re not powered enough to plane and you’re on a big floaty board, switch to your front foot on the board.

SAIL AWAY

1) Sheet out and squat below the sail while you get under control.

2) Adjust your hand position on the booms. (If you’re underpowered, you had them back on the boom for waterstarting so move them forward. If you’re powered, they’re already in sailing position.)

3) Assume your stance. NUMBER 7 !

4) Sail away.

TROUBLESHOOTING SAILING AWAY

o I get launched. SHEET OUT and SQUAT until you’re ready to get underway.