I've sailed a cammed sail for the first time last week. I'm not sure what they are meant to feel like, as I don't have enough experience. In comparison to my non-cammed sails, the centre of effort was noticeably further forward. I'm assuming this is due to the deep draft closer to the mast.
The pull on the forward hand was considerably stronger. Everytime I was powered up, sheeted in, going like the clappers (fastest I've ever been), I was on the verge of a catapult. I can't get in the footstraps yet, there's just too much going on at that speed for a newbie. So I ended up having many painful catapults, smashing into the mast/boom. The only solution I could come up was to move the harness lines a little forward so the pull on both hands were somewhat even or a little more on the back hand, which killed the speed and acceleration. I don't have this problem with my non-cammed sails, though I've been using them since last summer and had plenty of time to adjust.
Guy Cribb in one of his articles says the pull on the forward hand should be more than the back and it should be difficult to let go of the forward hand when hooked in. What do you guys think?
Any tips on what I could be doing wrong?
Get in the foot straps - thats why there there !
To give your whole body the leverage it needs to pin the sail down.
if you are not in the foot straps the first bit of chop you hit will slow the board down creating more pressure in the sail which will more likely catapult you.
Once your in the straps the board will get up higher out of the water and tend to ride on the fin more. you will plane over the chop a lot better go faster and the apparent wind in the sail will feel noticeably less.
as you get faster sails become easier to handle and more comfortable however depending on the board its the opposite :) big fat boards tend to get harder to control and tail walk.
Yes cribbys right and everyone who sails with more power on their back hand is chicken sh%t.
.. most windsurfers have been sailing for 30 years and dont like to change things, but the truth is most windsurfers have them to far forward.
basically with your lines back you sheet in with your body weight, which improves your stance and helps you hold your stance in the gusts, converting the extra power into extra speed.
but this means more catapults while learning, which is why everyone moves their lines further forward, and then leaves them there for the next 30 years..
One reason an instructor will tell someone to move their harness lines to bias front hand pull is because 90% of intermediate windsurfers sail with the lines way to far forward.. And if u tell someone to move their harness lines 10cm back, they will move them 5cm back.. which gives the instructor the ****s so we tell them to more them 20cm back!!..
But sounds like creeping your lines forward was the right thing to do... cammed sails would be different cause they are more stable, and they still create power when not sheeted in fully.. which must be pretty hairy if your not in the straps yet!! I wouldn't recommend learning to get into the straps overpowered on a cammed rig... there would be to much going on.. (there are exceptions, cams do make lazy learners plane fast even when they dont want to)
anyway, sailing on the verge of a catapult is good fun.. when I was learning i hated catapults so I sailed with my hook upside down, so I could eject half way round.
Firstly a cammed sail will need adjustment to the harness lines V's a no cam sail.
And secondly the best thing you can do to fix your issues is work on getting in the straps.
If getting in the straps is going to be a new stage to your sailboarding, then get ready for the full fun factor and the addiction of this sport.
The Catapults are just one of the fun bits.
Hey Gustee,
I think you get the picture...you need to be in the straps.
Once there, you are in a position to dominate your gear, and catapults become far less frequent...after a decade of sailing I will still go over the handlebars once or twice a year, usually when I'm tired and in very heavy conditions. When it does happen, I keep hold of the boom and go with it...usually my own swing weight will throw me clear and keep me from hitting anything.
So make a concerted effort for those straps. Move them inboard and make them big to start with if you're having trouble. Once you crack it, you'll wonder how you managed to sail out of them, and I expect you'll significantly reduce your 'pults.
Make sure your sail is rigged to spec to ensure the sail is performing as designed...too little outhaul or downhaul will allow the draft to move forward under load, pulling you with it. A cammed sail pretty much retains a static centre-of-effort regardless of wind-strength (within reason).
Get into the footstraps. You can then turn your catapults into forward loops, and look like you meant it
What the fireman said.
MAke sure that sail has enough downhaul to stabilise the draft, and get into your straps.
The most experienced sailor will get flung over the front if planing fast in no straps.
Downhaul, point taken. It's usually set to maximum I can crank using the harness hook, both hands and one leg. I usually just use the outhaul for tuning, downhaul just gets left at that (too lazy). My outhaul is set to maximum I can using one hand on the line, the other hand on the boom. This ends up being at least a few cm of positive outhaul. From there, I just keep releasing it till it feels right. (It's a 3 cam sail, not an all out race one).
Footstraps, I'm working on that. I had a quick search on the forum. The recommended order seems to be start planing, front strap, rear strap then harness.
That order doesn’t work for me. I can't seem to generate enough speed unless I'm in the harness and hanging down off it. Once I've got decent weight down on the harness, legs free up to push board forwards so that the front leg ends up straight and front foot between rail and mast base. This also tends to sheet the sail in at the same time. I'm now near the straps but also on the verge of being flung off over the bars. So once I lift a foot to slot in the straps I’ve got little chance of staying upright. What have I missed?
Maybe:
I'm rigging up too big hence need to be in the harness too early? Smaller sail doesn’t give enough speed to be near the straps.
Perhaps go small sail but try bear off downwind as much as possible, get the speed, go for the straps, then harness, then adjust course more upwind?
I always sail cammed sails and putting too much outhaul on can lead to very big control problems.
Never rig to be underpowered!
Got to get in those footstraps!
What board do you have? When I started I used a variety of club boards, some of which had the footstraps far too outboard for both my ability, I struggled unecessarily.
Can you move the staps further inboard? So they are more accessible.
The board is a Starboard Go 133. I've moved the straps in board and left them loose as per the advice so it's easier to get into.
I made it into both the straps last time out, but didn't feel right. The nose was too high up, the tail felt like it was dragging. I either wasn't going fast enough or perhaps not enough weight hanging off the boom keeping the nose down. It only lasted around 5 secs so didn't get much time to workout what was wrong.
There's some wind on the cards for the weekend, 20-25knots, possibly too strong for me, so I'll take my 6.2 freeride sail (my smallest) and have another go. Hopefully elbow heals in time. I smashed it pretty hard on the boom clamp (another catapult) and can't straighten it out or bend it all the way.
I'd be using a 5.3 or a 5.8 wave sail on a marginal board in that wind.
Maybe you are chronically over-powered.
Check the bargain bin at your local shop for some old smaller sails.
Yes and no.
Maximum does not equal maximum speed when you are being thrown over the front or struggling to control the board.
If you are not in the straps, you are not looking for either max speed or power. You are looking for control and some jiggle room to allow you to make some errors while you find your way into the straps.
My largest sail is a 6.2 wave sail. The sail sizes you have listed are much larger than that.
Over-powered is when you are struggling or getting catapulted.
Water-starting straight into the straps is an advanced trick to use in over-powered conditions.
Thanks to all who've posted. Lost of good advice. I'll head out again and should have more success armed with the info.
Great advice for everyone trying to get their GO going, like me.
IMO getting into the straps before planing means you might then be dragged out of them in the first gust.
Print out Frant's post for the gold therein :)
In a strong wind starting in the straps seems to involve 45 degree swing of the boards direction as you pull your back foot towards you. Full power instantly!!
And don't rig a cammed sail if you expect some overpowering, the turn upwind/sheet out solution is deadly in this case if the sail is not locked down . I now deliberately turn downwind more to avoid a catapult with a cammed sail.
I was teaching a friend who was struggling with the back strap in all but the flattest water conditions. Something that helped me and him was counting 1-2-3 and just go for it rather than thinking too much about it or spending too much time looking for the perfect flat water to go for it.
Personally I am hooked in and rising on to the plane before going for the straps in marginal conditions. Everyone has a different style/method/order to suit them.
Hope it helps.
