One of the great moves to have in your trick book is the upwind 360. It may not impress the tourists on the beach, but all your buddies on the beach will be quietly impressed by this unassuming technical trick. The UW360 feels great when you perfect it and opens the door to Flakas on flat water and the Takas in the waves, it really is a must have move when you start your freestyle journey.

Upwind 360:

• Sail across the wind and lean the sail to the back of the board. LOOK in the direction you want to go. As the sail goes back transfer your weight onto your heels, driving the board into the wind.
• When you are dropping the sail back remember to move your hands down the boom. Moving your hands along the boom is important - YOUR HANDS ARE NOT SUPER GLUED TO THE BOOM – the boom is how you control the power.
• The board will then start to carve into the wind. Try to get as far round as possible. As the board speed reduces start to transfer all your body weight from your heels onto your toes. Now the board speed has reduced lean forward bringing the rig with you. Slide your hands down the boom. Remember we are always counter balancing our weight against the rig, so rig forward weight back.
• As the rig slices forward you are aiming to push the mast through the eye of the wind. Do not push with your back hand we are trying to keep the sail neutral. The boom should end up tucked under your arm.
• Now the sail is neutral, so here comes the tricky part. Your front hand controls the turn your backhand the power.
• Front hand – as you slice the sail forward, if you want the board to turn push the front hand in the you want to go, but remember to be gentle.
• If it’s windy, to control the power extend your front hand down lower to the water pull in with your back hand, this will depower the sail (the dry humping effect)
• As the nose of the board starts to turn in the direction you want to go, you will end up in the back winded position, so remember your power control that dry hump, slowly feel the board in the direction you want to go with your front hand when the board is sat on a bored reach or a run your ready to pop the clue through!
• To pop the clue through, you do this wait for the nose of the board to point down wind. As soon as this happens we move our weight from your toes to our heels. As the clue goes through we must be prepared to handle the power in the sail. So, get back onto your heels. When the clue goes through keep your back hand down this will also help to handle the power.
• Now sail away.

More hints and more tip can be found on the windsurfcoaching.com blog and websites.
Message our facebook page and we will reply with solutions to your problems, or by the DVD – Go Pro with Colin and Marco.

Where To Go To Progress Your Freestyle

So, whatever your freestyle level there is a lot to be learning towards the end of summer and even more places to venture to as this the season continues.

Check out the full Boardseeker Summer Special for all the places to travel and info on how to arrange your perfect windsurfing holiday.

Another destination we recommend, especially as a year round location, is Club Dahab which is located on the stunning windy shores of the Red Sea. It offers over 300 days of force 4+ a year and is proud to be the only British centre in Dahab, and the only one offering inclusive rental and tuition with Club Vass top instructors. Just a short haul flight away, it’s ideal for a quick ‘fix’ any time of the year, with many flight options.

The centre commands a prime beach position, with easy access to all sailing spots and it’s the only place rocking the unique Club Vass vibe!

Club Vass Hot Shot Pip Pardoe has moved on to Club Dahab for the windy season to join Luke and the team. Pip has proved to be a huge star at Club Vassiliki, pulling off some of the biggest moves, he is Mr Motivator!

And there are some great deals for Autumn 2012. W/C 15th September through to W/C 13th October only £349 for 1 week!
(Price includes: Airport transfer, accommodation at the Ganet Sinai, half-board meal plan, tuition with top instructors, unlimited use of windsurfing kit).

www.clubvass.com info@clubvass.com 0844 463 0191

The Clew First Beachstart / Waterstart Now that you are a waterstart master, it is time to take it to the next level and address getting up and away in a clew first style. This technique gives you another starting option and is very useful should you happen to fall mid gybe and manage to keep the rig flying.

FOUNDATION

It is a good idea to build up to clew first waterstarts by starting with deep water clew first beachstarts.

For the purposes of practicing clew first beachstarts, you will need to position your equipment into a clew first position.  One method for doing this is the DRY GYBE and is demonstrated in this video clip.

You can see that in waist deep water, the board is turned to the new tack whilst you walk around the back of the board and gain control clew first. Through steering with the rig in the beachstart position, the board can be taken through 180 degrees.

Once into the clew first position, the move can be broken into 3 key stages:

• Positioning – Keep the board off the wind
• Up and away – Getting on the board and continuing clew first
• Controlled exit – Sailing away clew first

PRACTICE

• Try controlling your sail in a clew first position on the beach before trying it on the water.
• Be competent in sailing in the clew first position before trying clew first beachstarts and waterstarts.  (We will be covering this technique in detail in a future issue but in the meantime, checkout FUNDAMENTALS for some pointers)

FUNDAMENTALS

Look where you want to go – As in the waterstart we are moving forward and in doing so, we look at the mast foot to get up and away.  In order to have a smooth controlled exit you will then be looking forward.

Rig away – In order to exit the water with a relatively less efficient rig (due to the clew first position) it is paramount to extend the arms.  The rig will continue being kept away in the controlled clew first exit. This will enable us to control its power in the unstable position, whilst clew first.

		POSITIONING
		With a wide hand spread the board is held downwind on a broad reach (keeping the board pointing downwind allows the sail to be controlled more easily). You are at the back of the board BUT well upwind of it.
		With your front foot on the bottom, your back foot is placed on the board. It is positioned between the straps,  just behind the front foot strap. The heel is placed to windward of the centreline in readiness for the foot straddling the centreline upon sailing away.
		UP AND AWAY
		Note the subtle shift of the back hand towards the mast in order to get the rig more upright. The board is pulled in with a bent back leg as the heel moves towards your bottom, whilst simultaneously extending the arms. To help you do this look at (and crouch towards) the mastfoot.
		Your clew hand will be extending and you can pull in with the mast hand for more power. Added upward propulsion comes from kicking with the extended front leg.
		The front foot will land on the board close to the mastfoot and pointing forwards.
		CONTROLLED EXIT
		Clew first control comes from sliding the back hand towards the clew, check out how far! You will be looking forwards and balancing the rigs power by keeping the rig away and sinking down.
		Looking to gain more control as the wind increases; body sinks lower and clew hand sheets in more. After sailing a moderate distance the rig is flipped whilst you keep looking forwards.  Check out the helicopter tackfor rig flip visuals and tips.
HOT TIPS Point board downwind to increase sail control Back hand moves towards the clew for control and towards the mast to get up and away Back leg to bum as arms extend Look at (and crouch towards) that mastfoot to get out of the water Once up, look forwards and keep the rig away Get low to control the power Flip rig and keep looking forwards

Terry Luxton K-688“The windier it gets, the more I put my back hand down the boom (towards the clew) to help me control the rig.”
Phil Horrocks K-303“Make sure that you learn this technique on both tacks.  A lot of people are very one-sided but this is a technique that is definitely worth learning on both tacks!”
Ben Proffitt K-800“Learning to clew first waterstart is a must for anyone learning to carve gybe!  When a gybe goes wrong, the rig often remains flying and a clew first waterstart gets you up and going again in no time!”

]]> http://www.boardseekermag.com/features/clew-first-beach-start-with-jem-hall/feed/ 0 http://www.boardseekermag.com/technique/foot-steering-video/ http://www.boardseekermag.com/technique/foot-steering-video/#comments Wed, 17 Oct 2012 14:37:19 +0000 boardseeker ?p=1

Freeride Technique Get a grip of your foot steering…		Enlarge

]]> http://www.boardseekermag.com/technique/foot-steering-video/feed/ 0 http://www.boardseekermag.com/technique/harness-lines-video/ http://www.boardseekermag.com/technique/harness-lines-video/#comments Wed, 03 Oct 2012 14:37:19 +0000 Boardseeker ?p=1

Technique Jems Harness lines can transform your windsurfing! Jem Hall tells us all we need to know…	Download Video: Win [3.04MB] Mac [3.23MB]

]]> http://www.boardseekermag.com/technique/harness-lines-video/feed/ 0 http://www.boardseekermag.com/technique/getting-going/ http://www.boardseekermag.com/technique/getting-going/#comments Mon, 17 Sep 2012 14:37:20 +0000 boardseeker ?p=1

Getting Going This monthly beginners section will reiterate the key positions and moves of fundamental windsurfing and will be a compliment for those of you who have already, or should have, participated on a Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Windsurfing beginners course at a RYA recognised centre. (www.rya.org.uk)   You might now own a board, be borrowing or hiring one and this monthly guide will help you along. Please take advantage of the technique article, and both formats of the animated / movie sequence.         Approach the board from the opposite side to the rig and haul yourself out of the water with your hands on the CENTRELINE.         Establish the wind direction and with your knees on the CENTRELINE grasp the uphaul rope.         Keep hold of the uphaul and get to your feet, on the CENTRELINE. With bent knees and straight arms lift the rig from the water using your legs and then working hand over hand.           Reach out for the mast and grab it with both hands below the boom, this is the SECURE POSITION. Your knees should be bent with extended arms and the rig flagging downwind, away from you, with your head LOOKING FORWARD           Take your backhand off the mast and place by your side.           Step back along the CENTRELINE with your back foot. Front arm remains extended and in front of you. LOOK FORWARD.           Move your front foot back and turn it and your shoulders to face forwards.           Draw the rig across your body with an extended front arm to the BALANCE POINT.           Get ready for the power by bending your back leg, to lower your hips, and then place your back hand on the boom.           When comfortable place your front hand on the boom. Well done you are now in the sailing position. Power control – look forwards, extend arms, drop hips to control more power and raise hips when less power. The key positions of SECURE POSITION and BALANCE POINT, whilst staying on the CENTRELINE will really make your transition into the SAILING POSITION so much easier and more fluid. Try to coach yourself or get a friend to help to see if you are going through these stages and assist you in achieving a good stance. Videoing also really helps.   View video of this move: Low bandwidth [MPEG, 1.1MB] High bandwidth [MPEG, 3.2MB]

]]> http://www.boardseekermag.com/technique/getting-going/feed/ 0 http://www.boardseekermag.com/technique/tack-basic/ http://www.boardseekermag.com/technique/tack-basic/#comments Fri, 14 Sep 2012 14:37:21 +0000 boardseeker ?p=1

The Tack As you are now sailing across the wind with a good stance it is time to tune up those tacks. The tack is where the nose of the board goes through the eye of the wind. Tacking is so important as it gives you a way to turn round whilst staying upwind and is a transition used up to the highest level. By getting into good habits and becoming the tack master you will find, that as you progress down to smaller boards, the move will be that much drier.   FUNDAMENTALS We identified a key fundamental last time of LOOKING FORWARD as this gives us a good stance. Let us now address: Looking where we want to go Scissoring the board. (Using our legs to make our steering more effective)     From a good stance looking forwards and slightly upwind, begin to steer towards the wind.   As the board heads into the wind, slide the front hand up the boom in preparation for dropping it onto the mast below the boom. Lower your bodyweight and look upwind.   The front hand drops onto the mast as the rig rakes back towards the tail. Place your front foot forward, in front and wrapped around the mast foot.     The rig is now moving back to create space and the body is moving forward. Steer the board through the wind by looking into the wind and scissoring the board, pushing with the back foot and pulling with the front foot.     The nose of the board is now head to wind and both feet are forward, close to the mast foot with both hands on the mast below the boom. The board will continue to turn towards the new direction by swinging the rig around the back of the board and towards the nose.     Keep swinging the rig towards the nose, keeping the knees bent and arms straight, until you are in the secure position (July issue). You will now be looking forward to aid bearing the board away.       You are now in the secure position with the board across the wind and ready to sail across the wind once more.       So look forward, bring the rig to the balance point, anticipate the power and get down and move towards the sailing position (July issue).     View video of this move: Low bandwidth [MPEG, 0.75MB] High bandwidth [MPEG, 2.21MB]   Head upwind Front hand on mast Front foot forward Rig back and body moving forward LOOK UPWIND Step up Rig round back of board Rig towards nose and LOOK FORWARD SECURE POSITION, BALANCE POINT AND SAILING POSITION     SUMMARY The more you practice the tacks the better you will be. By sailing shorter distances you are doing more turns and therefore getting more practice. Its worth re iterating that good coaching or some feedback from more proficient sailors pays huge dividends in this and all moves.

]]> http://www.boardseekermag.com/technique/tack-basic/feed/ 1 http://www.boardseekermag.com/technique/gybe-basic/ http://www.boardseekermag.com/technique/gybe-basic/#comments Fri, 14 Sep 2012 14:37:20 +0000 boardseeker ?p=1

The Gybe I hope you all found the previously covered steering technique helpful with your direction changes. The gybe builds upon your steering skills, as you will have already learnt the first stage of turning away from the wind. By continuing through downwind and switching your feet you will have performed a gybe. Your hands will go to the new side of the boom and you have another move in your armoury. By learning this move and becoming very proficient at it you will be able to call upon these skills in stronger wind, downwind turns i.e. the carve gybe. Intermediate and advanced sailors will greatly benefit from working on the gybe in lighter winds. If you want better carve gybes become the master of this!   Foundation The gybe will be built from; Dynamic steering downwind Clew first control It will be very worthwhile to check out the clew first beachstart and steering technique articles for a recap. Become proficient at clew first sailing and you will master downwind transitions so much faster. Fundamentals Looking where we want to go Scissoring the board. Using our legs to make our steering more effective Rig away. By keeping the rig away we have a balance and our body also moves in the opposite direction to where the rig moves Clew first sailing. Key Stages Set-up and turning away from the wind Switching the feet Controlled clew first Rotating the rig and sailing away.           Set-up and turning away from the wind     From your sailing position check downwind for space and other sailors.         Bring the rig forward and across whilst body moves backwards and down away from the rig. The backhand moves right down the boom.         Get low and scissor the board by pushing with the extended front leg and pulling with a bent back leg. The rig is twisted with the front arm extended and back arm pulling in.     Switching the feet     As you approach downwind, keep the rig forward and across you. The rig goes to the outside of the turn and you are moving to the inside to create a balance.           Look out of the turn. With your bodyweight over the back foot then you front foot will be relatively weightless. This enables you to switch the feet; front foot comes back to its new sailing position.           Your old back foot now goes forward as you continue looking forward and out of the turn.     Controlled clew first     Going in the new direction gain control clew first. Remember, body low, back hand way down the boom and clew hand pulled in tight. The better you are at this the more you will be the master of windsurfing!     Rotating the rig and sailing away     From controlled clew first, keep looking forwards and slide your front hand towards the mast.           Let go with the backhand. Keep your body low and let the mast go right to the tail. Keep looking forwards.           Front hand reaches underneath to grab the new side of the boom and then continues the rotation to bring the rig back forward. Keep looking forwards.           As the rig goes forward, ensure your front hand slides back down the boom to resume its sailing position. Sail away and keep looking forwards.         Keep looking forwards!   View video of this move: Low bandwidth [MPEG, 789KB] High bandwidth [MPEG, 2.29MB]         Summary Rig across and forward with body back Scissor legs pushing through the front foot Rig twists and moves to the outside Get low and to the inside Look out of the turn Switch the feet: front foot comes back, back foot goes forward Clew first controlled exit Slide mast hand and rotate rig Sail away

]]> http://www.boardseekermag.com/technique/gybe-basic/feed/ 0 http://www.boardseekermag.com/technique/stance-basic/ http://www.boardseekermag.com/technique/stance-basic/#comments Fri, 07 Sep 2012 14:37:20 +0000 boardseeker ?p=1

Beginner Stance It’s that time of year where the weather is warming up and you might be tempted to get out there and brush up on all you have learnt and keep up the improvement. We covered all the basics last year and now we are looking to move our stance forward and then get into the harness. With a better stance we can increase the efficiency and effectiveness of how we sail, and more importantly go faster than our mates, get planing and start moving down board size. Stance is, essentially, the position of our body, hips and head. Moving these will make big differences to how we best use the wind.   [158K Video Stream - Audio OFF]   You will require the latest Flash Player for the clip above:   FUNDAMENTALS Looking where we want to go -  When sailing across the wind we are looking forwards and upwind. This assists in spotting the wind, gives us a naturally good stance and improves our quest to address the following fundamentals. The position of our head is of utmost importance Board Flat – Maintaining this converts sail power into speed. Where our feet are positioned on the board depends on the sail power available. At slower speeds the feet move forward and in. When going faster and dealing with more power the feet move back and out. Get the board flat by moving those feet and your reward will be speed. Rig away – We are looking to balance the sail’s power and move our body in or out and down as we match changes in the wind strength. So have a straight front arm and drop or raisie your hips in accordance with more or less power. HANDY WORK Where we position our hands on the boom has a huge effect on how well we perform, this applies to all levels and all moves. As you were learning you may be tempted to keep your hands forward on the boom – nice and safe there, not much power – those days are over! Move your hands back down the boom, towards where the boom straightens out. That is where the sail’s ‘power point’ is. The grip should be light in the hands and about shoulder width apart. Get this right and you will already be well on the way to full speed. FOOT WORK The back foot faces across the board and the front foot faces forward along the board. This is a recap of getting into the sailing position but is essential in keeping the rig at the correct angle to the wind and allows your levers and bodyweight to be utilised efficiently. This sequence of pics shows my stance as it goes from a LOT of power towards LESS, slowing down and then MORE power again.         I have plenty of power here. In the sailing position I look forwards and have my front arm extended. The sail is being sheeted in, down and back by sinking down and out with the rear shoulder and hip. The back leg is bent to sink the hips and take the weight off the tail, vital for that flat board goal. The front leg is straight and I am pushing through my toes, this will lock the board down and assist in pushing it along.   The wind has dropped here so my hips move forward and in. Still looking forward I am aiming to get the rig forward and upright by extending the front arm, whilst keeping the mast away.   The main difference is how much my back leg has straightened. My hips have lifted and my upper body is relatively locked out. If the wind continues at this strength I may look to move the feet forward to get the board flat.     View video of this move: Low bandwidth [MPEG, 135KB] High bandwidth [MPEG, 400KB]   From looking forward I have spotted a gust and I am anticipating the increase in pull from the sail so I am starting to get down by bending the back leg. As the board accelerates I would move back down the board and continue getting down on an extended front arm whilst sheeting the sail in with my rear shoulder.   Sink down with the rear hip and shoulder for more power. Move the feet back and out. Raise the hips and come forward and in when less power. Lock that front arm out with your hands down the boom. LOOK FORWARD.     HOMEWORK This dropping and raising of the hips can be practiced from standing and going into your stance and experimenting with the back leg bend. Note how the weight goes through your heels when you drop and through your toes when you raise. You may also want to practice whilst balancing with a fellow windsurfer, bit of a game of trust as well!! KEEPING IT SIMPLE Windsurfing can be simplified by looking forward, with a straight front arm and front leg whilst bending the back leg. This applies from beginner to winner and is what I coach to all ability levels. ‘Carpe Diem: seize the day’ – wise words.

]]> http://www.boardseekermag.com/technique/stance-basic/feed/ 0 http://www.boardseekermag.com/technique/steering-v2/ http://www.boardseekermag.com/technique/steering-v2/#comments Mon, 03 Sep 2012 14:37:21 +0000 boardseeker ?p=1

Steering In order to adjust our course effectively, we will now examine steering. We are looking to build upon our fundamental skills and make this as dynamic as possible. Fluency and efficiency throughout will vastly improve your ability to tack (a turn through the wind) and gybe (a turn downwind with the sail passing round the front). As you pick up the pace and dynamism of your steering, it sets you up for many advanced moves. This skill is relevant to ALL levels.   FOUNDATION By now you will have been sailing across the wind and making small adjustments to your course.  Turning the nose of the board towards the wind is known as turning upwind, whilst turning the nose away from the wind is known as turning downwind.  This article is stepping this process up and readying you for ripping tacks and gybes. FUNDAMENTALS Looking where we want to go – Wherever our head looks, our body will follow. Scissoring the board – Using legs to make steering more effective. Rig away – Keeping the rig away from our body increases our balance by allowing our body to counteract the movements of the rig.   TURNING UPWIND This is the sailing position with the head looking forwards and the rig away.   To turn upwind,  firstly look upwind and then draw the rig across the body. The back arm will extend and your weight will be sinking and moving onto the back foot.     In order to scissor the board, push with the back foot and pull with the front foot. The rig is away as it moves back with the body moving forwards, in the opposite direction.   TURNING DOWNWIND To turn downwind, begin to draw the rig across your body. Turn your head to look downwind.     As the rig comes across and moves forwards, the body moves backwards away from the rig. This helps to control the power. The back hand also moves down the boom to assist with pulling the sail in (moving the back hand down the boom gives more leverage and makes pulling the sail in much easier).     Get low and scissor the board by pushing with the extended front leg and pulling with a bent back leg.     You are now facing almost dead downwind on a RUN. Ease the backhand out to keep the sail trimmed. You will now be looking to resume your original direction across the wind.   TURNING BACK UPWIND The back hand comes up the boom to assist opening the sail. Look upwind and begin to scissor the board again by pushing with the back leg.     Rig moves back and body moves forwards.     You are now heading slightly upwind with the hands together, rig is slightly back and body moves forward. To trim the sail for upwind, pull in more on the back hand. Ready to go again?!     View video of this move: Low bandwidth [MPEG, 0.5MB] High bandwidth [MPEG, 1.6MB]   The 3 FUNDAMENTALS are the key to success: -Look where we want to go -Scissor the board -Keep the rig away The more dynamic you are the faster you will turn. Remember to move your hands! If the rig goes back, your body goes forward and vice versa.     SUMMARY Work through this drill and aim to get the board changing direction more radically after each attempt. This will really increase your rig handling, power control and massively improve your transitions. This drill has very similar dynamics to wave riding and as such it may be called flat-water non – planing waveriding. A bit of a mouthful but if your quest is to rip waves, this light wind drill has all the answers.  I get all levels doing this from children to advanced and the results are fantastic! Stay low, stay dry!

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