Youth Olympic bronze medallist Finn Hawkins gives us his top racing tips!
Finn Hawkins staying tight to the mark.
1. Do the preparation
You’ve probably heard it all before, but it is so important. Firstly make sure you’ve checked all your equipment before you go to an event so nothing is likely to break. Read the notice of race and the sailing instructions so you know the courses that you will be racing around and any additional information you will need when racing such as the first possible start times and class flags. Lastly, check the forecast so you know what you might be faced with - this will help you decide what wetsuits and clothing to bring and any extra equipment you might have to take.
2. Launch as soon as you can
It is very important to be on the water as soon as possible so you can get some valuable things done to improve your racing. Not only will this will ensure you will not miss your race but also it allows you to sail a fraction of the course where you can gather information such as where the buoys are laid and to see if that is going to affect your race in anyway. It is very hard to set a perfect course, so more often than not there will be buoys out of position and this will affect which tack you are likely to sail on first. It will also let you see what course you will be sailing and get some pre-starts done on the start line without it being too busy.
3. Remember your training
Denne historien er fra Issue 386 - June 2019-utgaven av Windsurf.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra Issue 386 - June 2019-utgaven av Windsurf.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
New School
Slingshot’s windsurfing brand manager, Wyatt Miller, has noticed that kids are drawn to playing with wings and puts forward an interesting case as to why he thinks this could help entice them and others into windsurfing.
Changes
Wave sailor Flo Jung reflects on our changed world during his lockdown in Germany.
THE LAST WAVE
Lockdown stirred the creative juices of reader Björn Alfthan, who peers into the future to present a fictional story set in the wild waves of Norway, five years from now.
STILL IN THE GAME
After a horrific fracture in his leg from a crashed aerial in 2018, Alessio Stillrich is back! John Carter talks to the highflyer from Gran Canaria about his move to the Simmer team, recovering from injury and how he learned to windsurf in Gran Canaria!
MOVE ON UP - GET ON THE FRONT FOOT
This month we look at how our front foot weighting can affect and improve different aspects of our main windsurfing moves.
SOUTH' KIPA
Nik tweaking it over home waters.
A NEW NORMAL
On a trip to La Tranche-sur-Mer in France last year, Tris Best estimated over 80% of the windsurfers were foiling. This summer in Portland Harbour, foiling activity has increased dramatically too he reports. With the market offering plenty of choice to recreational windfoilers, our test team check out some of the latest foil offerings.
TACKING – THE SEQUEL
Having given you time to practice, Harty concludes his tacking series by critiquing various tacking options, including the carve tack, as well as offering solutions to common slip-ups.
‘NO VAPOUR TRAILS TO SCAR THE SKY' *
Realising we may be about to enter an extraordinary period in our lives, Harty decided to keep a windsurf-centric lockdown diary. Here are some of his choice excerpts.
REDEMPTION DAY!
Renowned for its windsurfing and variety of spots to sail at, Kimmerdige Bay is a wave sailing jewel on the south coast of England. Timo Mullen gives a guide to its shores while reflecting on why a recent session there was a reminder that there is no place like home!
