Hey there, I have just started sailing a 102L board with a 5.8M wave sail. I have raced IMCOs for the last 5 years and am very competent on them.

However I am having a bit of a struggle getting to grips with a small board! When uphauling I struggle to get the board to point on a reach and get going without the board going upwind and plowing the nose and board underwater???

Any suggestions on what I may be doing wrong (or not doing!)

Any help will be much appreciated by a grateful Kiwi.

Cheers,

Couple of questions first:
Is this your first short board?
What do you weigh?
Are you uphauling because the wind's died?
What is the board

Uphauling a 100l board is certainly doable but how heavy you are and how wide the board is will make it easier or harder

There's very little sideways resistance so you cant push sideways. As you found the tail screws sideways and points you into the wind. So wide stance (back foot between front straps, front foot just in front of mast foot) bend ze knees and get the sail up and sheeted in as fast as possible

Thanks for that,

yes this is my first short board, it is 102L and 2.77m long and is 57.5cm wide (which is about the same width as my old board).

I weigh about 65kg.
Mainly I uphaul at the moment as I am not completely comfortable waterstarting (can waterstart my imco).

Once going on the board I am fine can plane and control board easily, it is just the getting going part which is stuffing me up!

Probably not the most helpful suggestion but - practice waterstarting!

57 wide is narrow, I guess this is quite an old board as a modern 100 l board would be more like 63 wide.

Its going to be difficult to uphaul, not much you can do about that, but it will be much easier to water start than an imco. Shouldnt take long to crack waterstarts at your level - couple of sessions with plenty of practice.

Just be careful where you sail till your happy waterstarting (or uphauling)

For uphauling it's just a matter of practice.

I'm not an instructor, but this is what I reckon...

You should have yr front foot just in front of the mast foot & back foot prob somewhere around yr footstraps. Most of the pressure should be on yr front foot when pulling up the sail (there should be a LOT of pressure on it). Once you have got it up (so to speak!?), you can stand around in the 'secure position', to get used to the feeling of it on yr little board. Then, when ready, same technique as on a big board, lean the rig towards the front of your board, plonk yr back hand down the boom and start sheeting in - with loads of mast foot pressure to stop it spinning up into the wind.

Waterstarting is always preferable tho'

One great teaching aid are the RYA videos & DVDs from Acrobat Television in Stockport, they sell the entire range as they film them.The are all done by Mr Peter Hart so no more need be said !! They are briliant and in the one I have it does cover uphauling a short board along with getting back if the wind dies.
Deffo worth a hunt down and a watch