Waterstart

[Jean-Marc]

As long as sail tip and double luff pannel does not fill in with water: 6-7 knots wind with Code Red 11.0m2 sail and Serenity (65 kg + PFD). Not enough lift/weight ratio in 5 knots or lesser wind.

Cheers !

JM

[Ken]

Here's a solution if you get stuck in wind too light to water start. This happened to me many years ago during a long downwind race on a longboard.

Moderate swells, dying wind and a 10 m sail which I grabbed at the last second (without an uphaul). I discovered my error just after the start, but decided to keep going since I was in the lead. Eventually in less than 5 knots of wind, I fell off in the swells and tried to water start with no luck. I then tried to uphaul with the mast, but simply couldn't do it. After a few minutes of frustration, I thought of taking off the harness lines (tied on with knots in the old days), tying them together and making an uphaul. It worked great and I still finished the race in the lead.

Just pray you have harness lines that velcro or tie on and you don't have to slip them over the end of the boom arm.

In my early days, I thought it was "cool" to sail without an uphaul. Now that I am older and wiser, I see that for those of us that sail inland lakes with rapidly changing winds, it is a bit stupid to go without one.

[Screamer]

Originally Posted by Ken

In my early days, I thought it was "cool" to sail without an uphaul. Now that I am older and wiser, I see that for those of us that sail inland lakes with rapidly changing winds, it is a bit stupid to go without one.

It's only when you want to sail rapidly changing, but howling winds on inland waters, when you have a problem (uphaul not very useful on small volume eh). Just last week I've had a mile swim when 7-8bf gale switched off.

Wrt waterstarting, I remember a magazine article a few years ago where a guy explained how to do it in stupidly light winds - a few knots. You'll need the stretch/skill of a gymnast though, he CLIMBED on the board while holding the rig upright, rather than being lifted by the rig (I think it was Simon Bornhoft).

[michelb]

Re study Peter Hart videos...... Turn for the better. He do a waterstart in a long board with less than 5 knots taking the rig from near the mast foot.

Peter is member of this dream team and maybe can do any tip.....

Michel

[Ken]

Screamer,

I agree that an uphaul isn't really needed on a Very Low volume board, unless you have the skill to uphaul with the water level mid calf or at the knees. I am not that good, so I will only go out on my 85 liter board if the wind is howling with no wind shadows.

Michael,

I have done water starts holding on to the mast and sail foot in very light winds. It does work but takes some practice. However, I didn't have the skills at the time (20+ yrs ago) when I was stuck with my 10.0 m in little to no wind and used the harness lines for an uphaul.

[agrelon]

Originally Posted by Ken

Here's a solution if you get stuck in wind too light to water start. This happened to me many years ago during a long downwind race on a longboard.

Moderate swells, dying wind and a 10 m sail which I grabbed at the last second (without an uphaul). I discovered my error just after the start, but decided to keep going since I was in the lead. Eventually in less than 5 knots of wind, I fell off in the swells and tried to water start with no luck. I then tried to uphaul with the mast, but simply couldn't do it. After a few minutes of frustration, I thought of taking off the harness lines (tied on with knots in the old days), tying them together and making an uphaul. It worked great and I still finished the race in the lead.

Just pray you have harness lines that velcro or tie on and you don't have to slip them over the end of the boom arm.

In my early days, I thought it was "cool" to sail without an uphaul. Now that I am older and wiser, I see that for those of us that sail inland lakes with rapidly changing winds, it is a bit stupid to go without one.

That's human ingenuity at it's best! I'll remember that when I sail uphaulless.

[mondy]

dear friend,
check out what royn says: http://www.roynbartholdi.com/ws_move..._lightwind.htm
it's tough but can be done, try it , but it's VERY frustrating as you're probably swearing anyway coz the wind dropped....
he has all kinds of starts on the site, check them out!
cheers
mondy

[Jean-Marc]

On a longboard like the Serenity, it's a lot faster to grab the double luff mast pannel full of water and rest the boom either on the tail or on the nose of the board rather than uphauling the large 11.0 m2 sail with brute force. Water pours out of the boom's cutout and sail tip by itself. Once empty, lift off the mast up, grab the boom, clear off the clew and off you go. On a short board, forget it: nose or tail are usually too short to rest the boom on it.

Cheers !

JM

[steveC]

Ken,

Although I stopped using an uphaul, like I noted a bit earlier, I should point out that I do carry a spare piece of downhaul line in the small pocket of my seat harness that I can tie on to the boom, if needed. So I guess I'm not totally stupid. I have to say, in the last 18 years of using no uphaul, I think I've only tied on the line twice.

[agrelon]

Originally Posted by Jean-Marc

On a longboard like the Serenity, it's a lot faster to grab the double luff mast pannel full of water and rest the boom either on the tail or on the nose of the board rather than uphauling the large 11.0 m2 sail with brute force. Water pours out of the boom's cutout and sail tip by itself. Once empty, lift off the mast up, grab the boom, clear off the clew and off you go. On a short board, forget it: nose or tail are usually too short to rest the boom on it.

Cheers !

JM

This is how I water start and continue to do so, I've never tried simply clearing the rig from the water without using the boards floatation as leverage. With the short board I use, a 2005 AHD limited edition, the tail is just long enough to be used.

I think a lot of people struggle with rig recovery and knowing this is a big, big tip.