Discover the hidden potential of your slalom equipment with 10 easy and practical golden rules!
Below are listed some of the most classical issues when sailing with slalom gear. Often this more technical gear does not allow us to feel comfortable and relaxed when surfing. Therefore we are now going to give you the answers to the most common problems. Give priority to modifying the trim of the gear, starting with the first solution given. If this does not work, continue to the second listed advice and so on…
- Sail has too much pressure on back arm:
Move the harness lines 2 cm backwards along the boom. The body weight will help you to better close the sail trough the harness lines. Pull extra 2 cm outhaul. It eliminates the back hand power.
- The sail feels heavy:
Downhaul the sail an additional 2 cm. the sail will increase its loose leach and thereby allow the wind to exit the sail faster: better acceleration, and therefore lighter feeling sail. Mast carbon percentage; a 30% Carbon mast is not very responsive and the sail becomes heavier. Is the mast the original mast? If the mast has a wrong curve, to the one advised, the sail may feel unstable and heavier. The IMCS does not represent the curve of the mast, but only the stiffness. This means that even if the IMCS is correct the curve could still be different, and give problems.Using a size shorter mast than advised, combined to a long extension, will make the sail feel lighter, as the IMCS of the mast is lower by normally 2 points.
- The sail is unstable:
Release the sail by 2cm at the outhaul. It creates a deeper profile, and gives a better pressure point in the profile which equals stability. Pull the tack strap by the mast foot tight, and tension the lower 4 battens of the sail.
- Too much pressure on the back leg:
Lower the boom. The body moves forward and displaces the weight onto your front leg. Lengthen your harness lines. It will be become easier to get to have a better grip in the front foot straps, and release pressure from behind. Move your mast foot 1cm forward. This reduces the power on the back leg.
- The foot exits from the front strap causing us to catapult:
Put the foot straps in the outer position on the board. The foot might have found a good stable point on the rail of the board, and the strap is too far inward to give a good lock in position. Therefore by bringing the strap closer to the foot will give further security whilst sailing. Move mast foot forward; when doing this, your whole body moves forward and thereby bringing your front foot closer to the front foot straps. Lower the boom. This again will bring your front foot forward as the whole body gets closer to the board. This also gives more control in high wind.
- The fin spins out:
Move mast foot forward: this reduces the pressure on your back foot that otherwise pushes your fin into a spin out! Move your foot straps one hole forward, but bring back the mast foot by 1 cm: this decreases the pressure on the fin.Use a 2 cm longer fin. It will hold more pressure from your legs.Change the fin if you still have problems.
- The nose of the board lifts up continuously?
Move the mast foot 1cm forward; The weight of the sail will keep the board down. Lower the boom; This will help the sail to stay upright, more at a 90 degree angle to the board, and this allows less power, less lift which can be good to have in lighter winds, but not as the wind increases.Decrease the fin length by 2 cm.Release the downhaul by 2 cm; lesser loose leach will lower the trim of the board in stronger winds. It will offer more control in very strong winds.
- The board is glued to the water:
Move back the mast track. The nose of the board rises.
