Windsurfing

Sailing a windsurfer/sailboard

Rigging a board

General notes

Secure dangling lines so they don't come loose and cause the loss of equipment, but not so tight/tangled you can't quickly remove them at sea.

Practice on land and in the water, so you'll be ready if something breaks or comes apart at sea.

It is important to tighten the downhaul before the mainsheet.

Attach a few feet of extra cord to the tow cleat—You might need it to replace the downhaul or mainsheet, or for towing.

1. Lay out the sail. It may or may not have battens—If so, check to make sure they're secure.
2. Insert the mast into the sleeve on luff of sail from the bottom, skinny tip first. Be careful not to rip the luff with the tip of the mast—go slow and prevent the tip from rubbing against the inside of the sleeve.
3. Attach mast foot appropriate for the board. If the mast height is adjustable on the foot, adjust so that the bottom of the sail is roughly 50cm from the board when taut.
4. Attach and tighten the downhaul, while the mast bends to fit the shape of the sail. You may use pulleys to help get this as tight as possible.
5. Attach the boom to the mast in the opening, about 5 feet up from the foot.
6. The top of the up-haul is usually left connected to the boom. Clip the bottom of the up-haul to the bottom of the mast or sail, but not the board. The length of the up-haul needs to be roughly 60cm longer than the distance between the two points so it can be pulled at an angle. If it's too long, it will get tangled at your feet.
7. Attach the clew to the boom with a mainsheet and tighten. You may use pulleys to help get this tight enough to match the tautness of the downhaul.
8. Attach the daggerboard to the board. Fold it into the board for now.
9. Place the sail in the water, then place the board in the water.
10. Attach the mast-foot to the board. Ensure it is secure.

Now you are ready to swim/paddle the board away from downwind obstacles, put down the daggerboard, haul up the rig, and sail away.

When you are done sailing, reverse the order of assembly.

Sailing

The tricks and challenges of sailing a windsurfer are different than sailboats mainly in that the mast can move in relation to the board, so there are extra effects one can create, and, of course, in the need to use the four limbs of the body not only to control the angle between the mast and the board but as bearers of part of the force along with the mast foot. The strategy, however, is very similar:

• Tack back and forth upwind or jib downwind, turning upwind or down to get where you want to go.
• You can go down to about 40° from straight upwind, depending on the trim of your sail, the position of your daggerboard, the position of the mast foot on the board, your speed, and where you are standing.
• Your speed affects the apparent wind, so you have to adjust your expectations as your speed changes.

You can do special tricks on windsurfers:

• Ride the rails. Flip the windward rail of the board up against the mast by tucking one foot under the rail and pulling it up. Stand on the rail. Now the board itself can catch significant wind, although the wind right above the water is not as fast as that hitting the sail.
• Carve. Rock your feet back and forth to adjust the angle of the board in the water along the long axis. This will cause you to turn left or right slightly.
• Throw the sail. You can throw the sail to yourself various ways as you come about, instead of merely inching your hands around the boom.

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parts_of_a_sail

http://www.windsurfquest.net/blogs.php?blogid=9