3-11-2010 windy day and windsurf harness line experimentation

Trying to improve my windsurfing form, so I can look like John Kerry in my wisened years, I started reading up on optimal harness line length.  Expert opinions vary, and have changed over the years, I've noticed.  When I first took up windsurfing, short lines, like 18" were en vogue.  Everybody groove to the music.  I rode 18" ones, and they looked cool, but I felt unstable and raking the sail way to far to windward and with low booms to compensate. 

A Matt Pritchard article said a 6'2" and above sailor should have 30" lines.  I'm riding on 18" lines.  I'm 6'2", so yeah.  You may ask, "Well, if Matt Pritchard told you to jump off a bridge, would you do it?".  But, at that point, I'd kick you in the nuts, making your question forever rhetorical.  I bought some adjustables (26"-32") and set them to 30".  It blew 25-30 mph today (4.5-4.7m)

with some even bigger gusts, so I really got to test out these new setting today.  And ... I loved the new length.  Never going back.  I was able to lean out better.  What I lost in cool points, I gained in stability.  Took the boom up as high as it would go also.  This was a very fast setup, and it kept the sail high and with optimal wind reception; not raked to the windward.

 

Also was able to figure out jibing (aka "gybing") my 80L RRD Frestyle Wave board I bought a couple months ago.  The advise that helped most was to actively push the back of the boom around, with the motion of shooting a pool cue. It worked great, and I made almost all my jibes, and planing through.  So it was a good day and I learned something, which is rare.