The wind was very broad at SP on sunday and at the end of the run I had trouble slowing down enough to pull onto the bank safely, even sheeting out didn't seem to help that much when the wind was strong. I didn't want to jibe because I would never get up wind for the next run. Anyone got a bit of advice?
Yes its certainly a challange to pull up sometimes.
I always start to carve like your going for a gybe then carve back up wind to slow down.
well works for me
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LOL
Hey Elmo,
I thought you guys just aimed for weed or put a foot out and wait for a crab to lock on
You have just hit the meaning of fear at the Pit!
You're close to the bank,you're Mack'n and you have to bear away and pull up!
At this stage you are in some wild lumps so you lose rail and start poping air:-
this is nearly as much fun as getting there!?!
and hopefully slow them up a bit.
Sheet in and stall the sail... I've heard it works. Just haven't had the balls to try ( in joke :-))
Hardie, next month I think you will find what works in Mandurah just doesn't cut it at the Pit.
It's that bank. It just keeps forcing you to bear away more and more, so you just go faster and faster, and the chop starts getting bigger and bigger. Sheeting out just trims the sail better so you pick up even more speed. There is no way the tail is going to dig in at those speeds.
I did what Vando suggested. A sort of S bend but you had to stay in the lane as it was as gnarly as hell in the channel... trouble was that lane (between the bank and the channel chop) was being used by some big ,fast guys steaming through at 85k plus who were going much futher down the bank and the last thing they need is some ****er slowing down first going left then right just in front of them...Sorry Slowie . Nice 45knots spinout recovery by the way... :-))
I think Daffy, as the guy who has sailed there most, probably has the answer you are looking for... I'll be waiting to read it as well.
A small parachute like they use on dragsters...might pull you off the board but it would stop you
Bloody long walk back upwind though[
Bloody long walk back upwind though[
Stopping at Sandy Pt can be terrifying. Especially when you are trying for good 500m runs and you end up really broad in large rolling chop.
Stomping on the tail is suicide. You will crash hard and probably break things.
The way I slow down is to stand upright and steer further downwind for a few seconds. As you turn the sail depowers. The board drag kicks in and you can wash off about 10 knots in a few seconds. Once you feel that you have slowed enough to carve, you can start carving upwind into the bank. Check first that nobody is coming!!! And beware that a few seconds is sometimes not enough- especially on a scorcher of a run.
The main trick is to keep it smooth. At high speed the board bounces faster than you can react to control it so you need to be careful not to let that happen- especially when standing upright. Keep constant pressure on your feet and heals!
I found out the hard way last year and wrote off a rig at 43 knots. All I did was take too much weight off the windward rail when I was slowing down and that allowed the board to jump a little in the chop, ventilate the fin and catch a rail hard. Bang. I was making my way through carbon before I realised there was something wrong. No "Oh SH!T" moment to contemplate my fate.
Yep. Exactly as Slowey says! With all the embellishments and many more!
My tips to add to that:
1. Sheet in (oversheet) and stand up smoothly as you bear away as if to gybe.
2. Keep the knees well bent to absorb the chop as well as possible without allowing the board to bounce (crouch)
3.When you have shed some speed, (look over your shoulder) sheet out and turn towards the bank.
4. If it is really hairy and fast, allow time for speed to bleed off.
5. If you think that is hard, try it on a speed tandem at 35 + knots!!!!
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I hope someones got a video camera over there to record the carnage
The problem is that there are almost no photos or shots of anyone going for it at the very end of a run. In fact, make that none that I know of!
When it is blowing 35 kts plus and the sand is getting in every orifice, no one ever feels like walking the Kilometer or so down there and back to take any pictures, let alone risking getting a camera full of sand. Most of the pics you see are taken near the start of the fastest part of the run or even before the start so they are not at all representative of the water state and conditions at the end of a good run.
The first keen photographer to do that could make a name for himself. 
I,d forgotten about that crash.At least we didn,t brake anything. My slowdown method is to release the back hand,stand up right,short drive away from the bank and then carve into the bank. Or if its an ALPHA time.....lay that sail down,shut your eyes and crank it around. And then do it all again
No wind this morning so being bored I looked up some runs from last weekend.
Here is one of my tracks showing the bearaway from the bank and turn in to slow down.
Or you can just chuck a gybe at 38 knots and power back up the course.....
Spottys latest video post reminded my of this video that shows Spotty and Chris stopping at the end of a 43 kt plus run.
