In the previous article we saw that the leaning curve for formula will have some plateaus and most likely if you spend some time analysing why this learning plateau has occurred, you just might find a few insights on how to improve. More often than not, it is the sailor, rather than the sails or having the right fin helping fuel these problems. This is not to say that having the best equipment and tuning worked out is not important, because in FW it very crucial, BUT most of us do not lose the race on account of not having the right equipment; far more do because our technique is not up to scratch. Not being able to quickly initiate planing out of the start or out of manoeuvres means you will always be sailing in the dirty winds created by others. Technique is vital for being able to get out of the pack and get yourself into clean air. Jan Witteveen (NED-22) continues his Learning Plateau articles this week, focusing on the training for gybes.

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In the early stages of formula racing you may be on a steady learning curve. You improve the trim/tuning of your equipment and you gain confidence in sailing around a race course and applying the tactics you have learnt through experience. And then suddenly it happens… You have arrived at the mystical learning plateau. Most sailors that have seen this happening to them begin to get a little frustrated because they are at a loss at how to improve their speed around the course any further. Some have money to spend and start buying all kinds of new gear, hoping that this will help them improve and others (heaven forbid) start critisising the formula format for being to hard. Either way it appears to be a factor in many sailor’s decision to stop competing in this great game of FW racing. Personally speaking, you yourself have not given up yet because you are reading this to improve right? Dutch windsurfer Jan Witteveen (NED-22) gives us this article outlining some simple aspects of your sailing you can work on to improve your speed around the course and climb off the learning plateau you’ve just reached. Continue reading →

After the Antoine Albeau domination of the 2007 FW Worlds in Brazil, a great post was written by Andreas Macke posing some ideas on how one man could dominate an event so much. One thing to consider is that Antoine is around 100kg whereas 2nd placed Steve Allen was 82kg at the event. Power-to-weight plays a very important role in your speed around the course, so let’s have a look at it more closely and see how you can improve your stance to get the most out of your gear. We will begin with some ideas from the master of theory himself, Frank Bethwaite and then move on to look at the techniques of the top FW sailors.

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It all started with a post on the Star-Board forum about sailors having difficulty getting their new Starboard F161 formula boards over the 30 knot mark. From there, sailors from around the world reignited their interest in achieving the fastest speed on the gps-speedsurfing formula rankings. Being present at the beach where Dennis Littel posted his record of 34.04 knots (peak) we discovered some new ideas on tuning formula kit for high downwind speeds and also how this knowledge could be applied on the race course to improve your downwind speed. Continue reading →

On the Formula circuit there is still a lot of people still using various downhaul-cranks or “ting-tuggers” (as they are known in Australia) to apply the high downhaul tensions required on the larger formula sails. The time and effort it takes you to insert and secure the crank, feed the rope into the loop and strenously crank the arm until the final mm’s of downhaul are applied, seems like a wasted effort in comparison to using a simple but effective downhauling technique with your harness. I thought cranks were supposed to make downhauling easier? Try this one… Continue reading →