Keep Going Upwind. Why?

[nicolo.piccolomini]

Hi,
for some strange reason my rig keeps going upwind spontaneously and i use up 90% of my energy to get it to go more downwind. Why is this?

[Roger]

Hi Nicolo,
What boards... what sail sizes... what fin sizes?
What sort of windspeeds and chop conditions?
Do all of your "rigs" do this?
How much are you "closing the gap"? (Perhaps too much which puts the CE of your sail back
behind the fin on your board. Easy to fix... stand the rig up a little straighter fore and aft).
Roger

[Farlo]

Hi Nicolo, are you sailing on a river with a strong stream ?;-)
Otherwise try setting mast track forward and/or boom lower.
A smaller fin may help pushing the board downwind as well.

[nicolo.piccolomini]

im on a 130 lt freeride and the sail i used was a 6.2 but i also am going to use a 5.0 when i get the right wind conditions. i have a 42 cm fin and i am trying to find a smaller fin not only because they told me it would bring me less upwind but also because where i sail there are very shallow points and my fin hit sand banks several times (causing violent catapults) but as i am 17 and i went in debt to get this rig i do not have much money.

[mark h]

I bet you have your harness lines to far forward!

[BelSkorpio]

Try a 32 cm fin, no slalom but freeride. That will help a lot.

[nakaniko]

Aren't there some older and skilled windsurfers to check the problem and suggest you what's the remedy? I don't know what's your spot, but I personally know some good riders from Rome that usually go out in the (beautiful) spots you are lucky to have around, in some trips in Sardinia they gave me a lot of good suggestions, I can say that if now I can easily waterstart it was bacause of their help.
Anyway in Venice Lagoon I always use for seaweed but also for shallow waters only anti-seaweed fins, raked back 45', no catapults but progressive slow down

[nicolo.piccolomini]

mark my harness lines are where North put the HTS (harness-line trim system) so i guess thats not the problem. belskorpio im trying to find a 32 cm fins (used) but i have no money and my dad who LENDS me the money (notice that he records everything and right now i am in 300 euro debt) will refuse to lend me more for a fin. he says that i have spent enough money this year on windsurf and that i should only start improving my rig when ive earned a little more. nakaniko i will now ask some people at the beach if the problem insists. thanks you

[nonopr]

How long have you been windsurfing? Are you just new to the sport?

[Farlo]

42 cm is way too large for 6.2 and 5. Agree with Belskorpio, 32/34 would be much better. Also your sail maybe too flat; it is the one with the batten problem? Over-hauling is counterproductive as you need more lift to get comfortably downwind.