Downwind Board Position

Rob B

Rob B

Well-Known Member
Noticed on the olympic coverage tonight everyone is sailing downwind at half board. No one sailing with the board up beyond half. My guess is this is the how you have to have the board to aggressivly steer the waves like those guys do?
 
Rob B said:
Noticed on the olympic coverage tonight everyone is sailing downwind at half board. No one sailing with the board up beyond half. My guess is this is the how you have to have the board to aggressivly steer the waves like those guys do?
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You should be so lucky! We have not seen any Olympic sailing coverage in Oz.
To the question... I only pull the board right up in very light breeze, she gets pretty tippy otherwise.
 
lol yeah in relation to seeing sailing on tv in aus there will be one half a hour hilights session which will be at 11:00 pm thursday so all u people that get to see sailing more often should feel lucky :)
 
Yeh the main reason the centreboard is lifted to half way is to reduce drag. once you go past halfway things become alittle bit rock and you have the famous " death rolls". the heavier the wind is the lower the board is and the lighter the wind is the higher the board goes (usually 2/3 of the board up) i really really hope that sailing in australia becomes more redially avaliable on tv i really want to watch it. there was once 18ft skiffs on every sat and sunday on prime for 1 hour but nothing now :'( looks like the only way ill beable to get it is on cable ohh well
 
yeh it on at Network: Fox Sports Australia

Programme 6:
Fredag 20 July, 23.30 fOX Sports 1
Wednesday 4 August, 23.30 FOX Sports 1
Tuesday 10 August, 10.30 FOX Sports 1
Wednesday 11 August, 22.00 FOX Sports 1

Sailing seamaster its called also some cool hydrofoil moth video's are avaliable from http://www.rohanveal.com/
 
all my coachs i have ever had have always told me not to raise the board any more than 12 inchs at any time, any more and the boat becomes inbalenced and if you raise it too far and the board doesnt go through the bottom of the hull then theres a big suction of drag.

In bigger waves when surfing it is also befificial to keep the board around 12'' because then the little that shows out the bottom helps gives a little more for the wave to push on and acts as a fin, like on a surfboard.
 
After the clinic this summer, Ben Richards recommended keeping the board most of the way down, off the wind. I now sail at max with the board up 12" usually less. I think the boat tracks better, and makes use of whatever puffs come through to make the boat go in the direction you point it instead of forward and sideways.
My 2cents
 
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