Had to reload! I have no clue what I'm doing!

*Clew

Drew

Is that the first time you've done that?

Andrew Scheidler wrote:
Darn! Thanks for the heads-up! I'll correct this quickly! Been in the US for +25 years so I can't even put this on the "English is not my native language"!

John Proper wrote:
No, but I had to do something with that video footage!

Have to admit never tried in 30+ years windsurfing. Some questions. In actual practice, is it really only feasible when you fall as you did (or close to it), or is it labor and time saving in more generalized falls when you let go of the boom? Is board angled more, less, or the same downwind relative to the wind than standard waterstart? Other than the sail flip at the end, what feels actually different about it and requires some different movement or technique than standard waterstart?

Hi David!
All great questions!

"is it really only feasible when you fall as you did?"
> Well, yes and no! It's only worth it if the clew of the sail is pointing in the direction of the nose of the board regardless of where the sail ends up after a fall -- whether upwind or downwind from the board. But more importantly, I think it only makes sense, if I still have the boom in the hand once I'm in the drink! So, to answer your question, yes, it's feasible to do it in different circumstances but it provides no benefits IMO: If the sail is already in the water, it's no longer a speedy recovery and maneuvering the sail in the right direction while floundering in the water is just a small part of getting the kit back in position to do a normal waterstart!

"Is board angled more, less, or the same downwind relative to the wind than standard waterstart?"
> It's somewhat similar to a normal waterstart, with board orientation that depends on the wind strength and how much pull you can get from the sail. However, I found that clew first waterstart generally lacks power when the board is pointing upwind. I usually try to point the board a bit more downwind than normal to generate the lifting power I need which somehow helps alleviating some of the awkward instability of the sail.

"...what feels actually different about it and requires some different movement or technique than standard waterstart?"
> Like I mentioned in the video, getting a wider grip on the boom is important to maintain control of the sail - like when in a normal jibe preparation, your clew hand moves back a bit. Something similar to regular waterstart but quite important: Extending the arm up and lifting the front hand (In this case the hand closer to the clew) above your head is key. Something a bit different: Sheeting in the clew towards the wind is providing the needed lift and sail stability. And finally, having a slightly wider stance on the board helps to control the awkward pull of the sail once you're up.

Additional insights from anyone?