Heli-tack - backwind question

nicb · Joined: 08 Jul 2010 Posts: 4

Hi,
I hit my first heli-tack yesterday (yeah). Anyway, I have read a number of posts about it but the main problem I run into is getting and controling the backwind position.

I turn way up wind and get into a back wind position but my board just kinda freezes (the nose stops turning). In looking at you tube videos, when people get in the backwind position, their board appears to keep turning so I think I'm doing something wrong.

Can I turn it with foot pressure? Sail turning etc?

I essentially get in to an unstable position backwinded so when I do pull/ start the sail flip I am still pointed pretty much up wind and fall over (I also have a tendancy of not successfully grabing the boom as it flips but I think that is primarily just dur to bad eye/hand coordination - everything is happening at once)

Anyway, any suggestions on how to continue the turn from backwind position?

coachg · Joined: 10 Sep 2000 Posts: 3563

Reach back towards the clew with your back hand first.
Guide the mast hand farther across the wind to keep the nose turning. The back hand gives you leverage to keep the nose turing.
As you feel the nose start to turn downwind slide your front hand along the boom all the way to the harness lines by using the back hand to guide the boom towards the nose. It's just like shooting pool as ABK instructor Brendan likes to say. You will come out sailing clew first before you flip the sail.

Coachg

boardsurfr · Joined: 23 Aug 2001 Posts: 1266

Practice backwinded sailing and steering without the heli tack. Just step around the mast to get to the other side. Keep your weight on your toes, and use only the mast hand. Take the sail hand off all the way, or at least have no pressure in it. Steer using sail steering alone. Start with a small sail on a big board until you got it dialed.

When you're ready for the heli tack, the trick is to alway use just one hand (even if you have both hands on the boom). For the heli rotation, switch from the front hand to the back hand. It helps to pull the back hand towards your ear, and let the sail stay in neutral for a bit to regain your balance.

Good form is to sail out clew first and flip the rig later. Flipping the rig right away may seem easier, but leads to poorer technique. But when the wind gets strong (planing conditions), flipping the sail right away can be the only option.

techno900 · Joined: 28 Mar 2001 Posts: 4184

Even if you stall into the wind, if you continue the sail rotation and flip it to the normal position, it's pretty easy to continue the board rotation by reaching out with the boom to pull the board around. If you stay on the backwinded side and the board hasn't gone through the eye of the wind, you are stuck, but you can now practice sailing on the backside.

rlemmens · Joined: 09 Feb 2008 Posts: 206

Throw the sail forward once you get to the upwind point. Extend your arm closest to the mast and keep your back arm bent. The more you bend your back arm the less power you'll have. Then flip the sail

bobgatpdx1 · Joined: 13 Oct 2002 Posts: 385

Practice sailing backwinded with small sail (4.7m or smaller) and a really big floaty board (150L +). Get used to sailing backwinded at various points of sail. Also practice getting in and out of backwinded (either heli-tack exit, tack exit). Use only your front hand or just the palm of the back hand. The more comfortable you get sailing backwinded and controlling the sail with just the front hand, the easier heli-tacks and many other tricks will be.

For the heli-tack, look towards the new direction (not at the sail) and move your back foot just behind the mast base before you try to flip the sail.
BobG

ctuna · Joined: 27 Jun 1995 Posts: 1132 Location: Santa Cruz Ca

There are actually two controls you can use when backwinding . One is the normal sails control that you use when frontwinding or in the normal sailing position when off the plane. That is you push the sail foward to get the board to go downwind and back to go upwind. Because you are on the wrong side of the sail when doing this the control is limited. The Second control is the waterline of the board. What you need to do is dig in the upwind rail of the board (for backwinding)the way you would for upwind slogging(but even more dug in). When I first tried backwinding I would always start to go fast head off downwind and crash Then I started using the upwind edge. To get more leverage on the upwind rail put your toes close to the upwind edge and or heels on the centerline.
Backwinding is an upwind technique it doesn't work well going downwind.
Now to exit the backwinded position via the helitack exit you need to get your feet close to the mast and centered let the board go flat push the sail foward with the back hand and or step on the tail a litte to accelerate the turn rate of the board. The amount you have to step on the tail will vary with sail size and board size . I also use the rule the sail must be over the tail or you are stalled (going sideways) when backwinding
You should work on just sailing backwinded first then work on the exit.

einhorn · Joined: 03 Sep 2002 Posts: 31

As you head upwind push the mast forward toward the nose of the board in front of you, which shifts the center of focus forward and will push the nose through the eye of the wind. But don't leave it there, as soon as it gets to its most forward point, bring it back so the clew goes toward the back and you are beside or in front of the mast. It is much easier to sail backwind with the sail behind you. The rest is easy.

ctuna · Joined: 27 Jun 1995 Posts: 1132 Location: Santa Cruz Ca

This is much easier with modern flat freestyle and wave sails.
Sails with a deep draft will beat you up.
Also rig anything you have kind of flatish but don't pull all the life out it.
http://www.boardseekermag.com/home.php
go to the technique section here and look at front to sail sailing and the heli tack.
You can also look at the guy cribb website I like to hear as many explanations as possible sometimes something someone says in a certain way makes things click.

DanWeiss · Joined: 24 Jun 2008 Posts: 2296 Location: Connecticut, USA

Another possibility is that you are carving up way too slowly. I find the key to a heli-tack is the same as a regular tack. The best are those when I sail past the eye of the wind with some board speed. The board retains most of its stability and allows me to deal with the sail very easily. It sounds like you are slowing to a stop pointing dead into the wind. If so, it's little wonder you stall. Try going 10-15 degrees past the eye of the wind and then begin your sail flip. The board should turn downwind automatically when you sweep the sail quickly though the wind. Like a regular tack, don't hang out in the transition phase. You need to get to clew first ASAP and drive the board onto the new tack before the flip.