Please, Tips for going fast on a twintip slalom race .

[Muri]

Hello, Gents.
In a slalom race.
All racers are on Bow or Hybrid Kites, all will use a twintip.
What is your best Tip for sailing Fast ? (For the board, kite or stance)

Thanks in advance, Arturo.
(A Barbacue in on the pot).

[gbleck]

Why restrict to just twin tips?

I can't tell you what stance as I was either real slow around the course or on my face bobbing in the water when I put the hammer down. The big important skill is the down loop transition. Only reliable way to keep a tight line around the course. If your coming around with a guy tight on your stern a down loop allows you to come around with out fouling the kite behind you. Rights or no rights, foul or no foul wrapped around another kite is slow. Oh and boots with a wake rocker looks like it might be fast.

[Muri]

Thanks,
I have a friend that claim, boots help him go up wind more, I can not think why, boots or no boots with the same board, I do not see the dynamics of it! (He says more edge with the boot, but can you edge the same with straps?? )
Wake style board , don’t have one, but will try on a baroed.
Down loop is it like an under turn ?
Directional’s are better I know, but the bet is with a Twintip.
Muri.

[unemati]

i cannot think any reason why to use boots in racing? there are positive sides and also negative sides. Positive side is that if you crash, then probably the boots stay in your feet and you wont lose your board, but negative is that in my opinion your feet starts to tire out more and in choppy conditions i personally wont like it. In my opinion the boots should stay with kickers.. But you might use these rubber things (like Liquid Force has in his straps) to lock you feet to straps, so you won't lose your board if you crash somehow.

[gmb13]

You guys are mixing up Slalom and Course Racing.

In a Slalom Race you only go Downwind so Upwind performance is not important.

I also doubt that twin tips will be very good at a Slalom course. In my opinion what is needed are boards with a lot of lift, eg something similar to the current race boards, just smaller with a single back fin, like a small windsurfer.

This will be the 1st year that Slalom events will be held, so it will be interesting to see what equipment dominates.



--
Gunnar

[Muri]

By Slalom I meant a race that only has a reach, the course is just one buoy, (a reach buoy) , so the sequence is:
Start – Buoy –Finish (same buoy in the start).
You agree on a side to the buoy normally a gybe.
In windsurfing the tips will look something like this:
- Close the gap.
- Outhaul out
- Short harness lines
- Small fin
- Feet out and back
- Eyes on the buoy.
- Go only a little up on the gusts.
- If the lull is short, do not move anything. (freeze you back hand)
And on,
Thanks, Arturo.

[Muri]

Our spot has only about 16 raiders and we have another 20 about two driving hours, none with racing equipment.

So for racing we are proposing a Slalom Race with custom surfboards. That is it, simple.
The twintip race is only a bet with a friend. Bragging rights only (and a barbeque).

Good winds, Arturo.

This weekend is a long holyday, wind forecast is good, and I am very happy, leaving to the beach in two hours.

[Muri]

I am not a brawler, but we normally invite windsurfers and they have been beating the shit out of the kiteres.
So any tip is welcome!

Muri.
(I guess this is how a forum gets ignited)

[gmb13]

Hi Muri,

I understand now. You are not talking about a real slalom race.

So basically you are racing on a Broad Reach course between two buoys set perpendicular to the wind.

You are getting you butt kicked because you are on a twin tip. Not matter how good you are and what tips we can give you, you are not going to beat a windsurfer on that course, a twin tip is just not designed to do that. If you want to have a chance, get a proper race board that is ridden flat. Go overpowered and you will blow them away, unless they are on good Slalom equipment, and then it will depend on who is a better sailor. Prittchard managed to beat the best Kite Racers in the World on Formula Equipment in Mexico so even with the proper equipment you are not at an advantage with a Kite.

--
Gunnar

[ronnie]

If the windsurfers are fastest, might be a good idea to use the smoother water in the wake of the heaviest one if you can sit in behind it.