Time is precious!  You’ve checked your favorite weather app (I prefer the forecast discussion from the closest National Weather Service Office), checked to observations from the coastal stations or buoys closest to your sailing spot and you are ready to go.

 

Now, how to maximize time on the water?  Well, if you sail a Windsurfer LT, all the time- sucking rigging choices have already been made for you!  “I think I’ll rig the 5.7, and if the wind picks up I’ll go to the 5.7, and if it goes down, I’ll switch to the 5.7”.  Sweet!  No time wasted changing equipment for the conditions = more time on the water.

 

To save even more time, when you de-rig, loosen the down haul, undo the outhaul line, take the battens out, and store them in the ingenious pocket along the mast at the bottom of the luff.  Then, roll the sail from the end of the boom towards the mast, and cinch it with the uphaul line at the mast clamp.  Next, fold the boom to be parallel to the mast and use the outhaul line to tie the sail to the end of the boom.  

 

Now next time you go out it takes just a couple of minutes to unfold the boom, install battens in the pockets, thread the outhaul line through the boom end (no line crosses!), and tighten the down haul.  Then Boom!  You’re out there in slo-tech heaven sailing upwind at 9 knots to where the waves are while all the short boards are still trying to decide which sail to rig.

 

Speaking of rigging, try out Tim Gourlay’s one page tuning guide on the Australia Windsurfer Class Association web page.  In summary, put boom on 35, two-block the outhaul, and set downhaul so bottom of the sail is 12-16 cm from the bottom of the mast… Easy peasy!

 

http://www.windsurferclassaus.com/uploads/1/2/1/7/121784591/tim_gourlay_go-fast_tips_for_the_windsurfer_lt.pdf

 

My transport to the beach!