c~r~emCamments Catchhsg the Wind. Part 2. Boardadling. Number10 March 9,1981 Last week I told you about one of the and the sailboat is the way the mast is oldest “sports” known to human- linked to the body of the boat. While ity-sailing. I Now rd like to teU you the mast on a sailboat is held rigidly about one of the newest—boardsailiig upright, the mast on a sailboard can be or windsurfing. moved freely in any direction. A fully One of the most common dreams of pivotal joint, called the universal joint, man has been the desire to fly. I’ve is what makes this movement possible. always been attracted to the idea. I’ve The sailboard’s boom also differs from tried parading, gliding, flying in smalf that of a sailboat. On the sailboard, the planes, and have even considered hang boom is a wishbone-shaped device en- gliding. But for much less risk and ef- circling the sail. Tailboards, which cost fort, I’ve come close enough to the ex- around S900, weigh about 65 pounds hilaration of flying through windsurfing. and can be carried on top of your car. z And I look forward to that kind of exhil- Since a number of books are available aration each time I get on a board. on the subject, z.s I won’t go into too Downhill skiers know the feeliig. And much detail on how to windsurf. Con- I’ve experienced it on cross country skis trary to general belief, it is not difficult. going downhif.1 faster than I imagined It has very little relation to surfing possible. which requires much more skill and If you think sailiig or skiiig is fun and practice. Again, contrary to general ex- exciting, you’fl enjoy windsurfing, al- pectation, many people can stand up though it does differ from sailing in a the first time they try. While I am no ex- number of ways. First of all, you stand pert, I’ve shown many friends that the on the board and use your weight and basic movements are quite simple. he movement to maneuver. Secondly, you also learned that even if you have expe- use a sail, not a rudder, for steering as rience with sailboats you can’t count on wefl as propu~lon and balance. Tail- being able to windsurf. But once you boards have daggerboards (which serve master the basic maneuvers, your ex- the same function as centerboards), perience as a sailor wifl help you under- masts, and booms but no rudder (see stand tacking and, thereby, navigation. Figures 1 and 2). A skeg is situated at One gocd lesson with a good instruc- the rear of the board for stability. Inci- tor will save you many hours of wasted dentally, the word skeg is of Scandina- time and energy. I found this out the vian origin. Probably the most notice- hard way. After the International Coun- able difference between the sailboard cil of Scientific Unions Abstracting 45 1 Ffgure 1: I IN\ Components of the sailboard WIND( . t ‘, \ CLEAT FOOT UPHAUL T/ \ ““ 2ZD.WNHAUL. b~ACJ FooT~lTH (JNIVERSAL z FOAM. FILL ED<LASTIC HULL (BOARD) “iA’T:=’:: Boards (ICSU-AB) meeting in Torremo- about two feet apart—one on the far Iinos, Spain, several years ago, I found a side of the mast and the other over the sailboard on my friends yacht. After a daggerboard—and you are standing day in the water, I was exhausted and sideways on the boat, facing the rig. still could not control the board. Keeping the mast perpendicular to the But then I took a windsurfing lesson board, you raise the rig by slowly pulling during an American Chemical Society the rope up-hand over hand. At first meeting in Hawaii. I was taken through this will seem impossible because the a series of standard steps on a dry land sail is full of water. But gradually it simulator, Once in the water I found drains off and you raise the sail. This that balancing the board was not as dif- proves to be less difficult than it first ap- ficult as I had imagined. The next step peared. After you raise the rig, if there was to learn how to raise the “rig’’—the is a breeze, the sail will flap or “luff” un- apparatus consisting of the mast, boom, tif you are ready to start saifing. and sail. The rig is lying flat on the sur- At this point, the boom will be point- face of the water. Once you get on the ing straight out from where you’re board, you can squat down to pick up standing. The mast is now vertical. the rope, or uphaul. You stand with the Since the wind is coming from your wind at your back, and the top portion back, air is blowing on both sides of the of the rope in both hands. Your feet are saif and you essentially stand still. As 46 Figure 2: This boardsailor is using his body weight and strength to counterbalance the pull of the wind, you gradually pull the boom around to a learned to control the direction of the position parallel with the board, the sail sailboard. catches the wind. If you pull the boom Once you can stand on the sailboard parallel to the board too quickly, you without falling, and can lift the rig out may be pulfed over by the sudden of the water, you are ready to consider pressure of the wind. In a light wind th~ the problem of controlling your move- would be no problem, because you ment. In a sailboat, you use a rudder to could lean back with your arms out- steer. But how can you steer a sailing stretched and balance the wind pressure craft that has no rudder? In windsurf- with your strength and weight. In a ing, steering is accomplished by chang- heavy wind, it is best to gradually get ing the angle of the sail. The basic mast the feel of the wind in the sail and adjust position is vertical. If you move the your balance accordingly. mast several degrees toward the front or After you’ve managed to do these back of the board, so that it no longer things, you think you’re ready to get forms a right angle with the board, the underway. But there are a few things board wifl change direction. In fact, if you have to learn first. It’s a good idea you are standing with the wind ap- to stay in shallow, warm water and stick proaching from behind you, and your to calm weather days when starting out. left side toward the front of the boat, Even experts spend time in the “drink.” the forward movement of the mast wifl It’s also a good idea to windsurf around turn the boat clockwise while the back- experienced boardsailors or in populat- ward movement of the mast will turn it ed areas. If you drift out to sea or to the counterckxkwise. middle of a large lake, you will need Actuafly, the fiist movement you some help getting back until you have should learn is turning the sailboard 47 from the starting position. If you get on lt M atso poswble to get caught in very board near land and are pointed toward turbulent water and lose control. The the shore, you are going to hit the beach last time I was in Hawaii, after a lecture unless you can turn around. This is ac- tour of the Far East, I got caught in the complished by standing on the board surf and had to be rescued by a Samoan with the wind at your back and the sail in a catamaran. He took over the sail- held up out of the water by the uphaul, board. I had no trouble sailing the cat or line connected to the rig. To move back while he deftly maneuvered the the boat, you pull the sail to the left or sailboard out beyond the shallow rough right and slowly move your feet around water, and followed me back to the the mast untif you are facing in the op- beach. Since I was out for 90 minutes posite direction. more than I had expected, I barely As with sailing, it is possible to con- caught my plane to Los Angeles. The trol your speed as well as your direction next morning I rushed down to Marina on a sailboard. Your ultimate speed is a del Rey in hopes of practicing, but function of the prevailing wind, the could not find a single board avail- angle of the sail, and the design of the able-right there in the heart of wind- board and sail. You can sail as fast or surf land! But I got a chance to watch slow as you want by changing the angle some marvelous acrobats (see Figure 3). between your arm and the boom. Just as Believe it or not, experts can sail the pulling in the sail of a sailboat increases board on its side and do 360 degree your velocity, pullhg in on the boom in- somersaults! This is not my cup of tea, creases your speed on a sailboard. but it is delightful to watch. Unless you’ve heard stones of exper- Boardsailors tend to be evangelistic, ienced board sailors, you won’t realize and I suppose I’ve taken up the “reli- how easy it is to underestimate how long gion.” Whenever I go windsurfing, I use it may take to return once you start a my rest periods to convert my friends journey.