Short board fast tack

I am trying to master the fast short board tack. 100l board 6m sail.

I've got the the foot wrapped close around the mast foot. I jump around the other side and usually fall over the nose or sink the front.

Anyone got an amazing tip that helped them conquer the tack?

Do you grab the mast or boom?

Do you back wind the sail?

This helped me

I think the key on small gear is to get the sail on the right angle once you get round the other side to power up and hold you up, then use that power to turn the board and finish off the turn.
Recently started sailing a long board in < 12knts and the tack practice on that has helped my short board tacks heaps.

Hey Yuppy,

I'm no master of anything, but I can tack "ok". The best thing I've found is keep your body weight over the centre of the board at all times. And keep it near verticle. So the whole time you're shooting around the front your weight is over the mast track. Here's a short clip I took the other day, she's a little dodgy but shows the feet getting ready for the tack as you plan up-wind, then the quick step around the other side whist still planning. I put a tad too much weight on the nose (hence the nose sinking) as I took slightly too long to get around, but got away clean and planned off nicely. I'm working on doing them faster, (ideally in one jump!) but one battle at a time... Hope this helps a tad.

I recently got shown a technique to fast tack a planing RSX and I think it would work well on a short board as well.

1. Prepare: Take feet out of straps, rake sail back and steer to windward

2. Luffed up: Front foot in front of mast, knees bent, body low and close to sail move to rig back to upright position.

3.Tack: grab the mast with your back hand below the boom, that's the important bit, grab it with your back hand, this is what makes it fast as you change sides you seem to automatically pull the rig to the leeward side of your body and the new tack, your feet change very fast as they follow your body, your back foot (now your front foot) is now in front of the mast and bearing the board away.

4. New tack: Next important bit it to grab the boom on your new tack and fully commit your weight to it "balancing on the board is much harder than balancing off the rig". I was told that even if you fall backwards into the water with the rig over you in the beginning its ok as you are in the water start position anyway and soon you will get used doing it and wont fall in backwards

We ran through it on land a few times in slow motion then went onto the water, it is really easy on the rsx but that's a wide stable board. Reason I think it may be good on a short board is the speed of the tack, much faster than I used to and far less time in that luffed up position trying to balance on the board. After a day of thinking and doing it I now do it automatically and it works well on the formula as well.

Guy Cribb PDF's you may have to register ( enter your email to see them..) heaps of great tips on practically everything!
www.guycribb.com/windsurfing_technique_holiday0065v01.aspx?awvariantid=1
Tacking is in there..
I need to start teaching myself but I don't want to fall in!

I'm certainly no expert but the signal to initiate the tack will be when the bottom of the sail hits your shin on the back leg, then jump to the other side.

Cam

Great tip.

I went out today and actually did a few successful tacks with cam's tip.

Back hand grabs the mast. It works