WWF Handwork for Sail Flagging on the Wave
Written October 2024
WWF is all about wave riding. In order to carve onto a wave well you must flag the sail very efficiently. And in order to flag the sail efficiently you must develop proper handwork for sail flagging. In this brief article I will compare a typical windsurfing sail flip with WWF sail flagging to help you understand the technique. And we'll look at the handwork for beginner/intermediate sail flagging and advanced sail flagging. Please refer to the numbers on the boom diagram below as we explore.
Imagine that you are on starboard tack in this explanation. In a typical windsurfing jibe sail flip the rider will have his back hand at position 1 and his front hand at position 2. When he is ready to flip the sail he will move his front hand from position 2 to position 3, and as the sail flips he will move his back hand from position 1 to position 4 on the other side of the boom. The sail flip completes, and the rider can establish both hands on the new side of the boom.
WWF is different. When carving onto a wave and when jibing we need to flag the sail so that it naturally flags downwind with the force of the wind. The beginner/intermediate handwork is simple. The rider slides his front hand from position 2 to position 3, and then slides his back hand from position 1 to position 2. The rider will then move the front hand from position 3 to position 4, and move his back hand from position 2 to position 3. Now you have one hand on each side of the boom right near the mast and the sail is totally flagged and powerless as it points directly downwind.
The advanced WWF handwork for sail flagging uses less steps. It's super efficient and dynamic. As the rider initiates the carve onto the wave he moves the back hand from position 1 to position 3, and at the exact same time releases the front hand from position 2. That's it! The sail is now totally flagged and you have one hand on the boom right up next to the mast. If you want to you can put your other hand on the new side of the boom right up next to the mast.
That's it! Here is a brief video where I explain the same handwork. Have fun out there!!!
WWF is different. When carving onto a wave and when jibing we need to flag the sail so that it naturally flags downwind with the force of the wind. The beginner/intermediate handwork is simple. The rider slides his front hand from position 2 to position 3, and then slides his back hand from position 1 to position 2. The rider will then move the front hand from position 3 to position 4, and move his back hand from position 2 to position 3. Now you have one hand on each side of the boom right near the mast and the sail is totally flagged and powerless as it points directly downwind.
The advanced WWF handwork for sail flagging uses less steps. It's super efficient and dynamic. As the rider initiates the carve onto the wave he moves the back hand from position 1 to position 3, and at the exact same time releases the front hand from position 2. That's it! The sail is now totally flagged and you have one hand on the boom right up next to the mast. If you want to you can put your other hand on the new side of the boom right up next to the mast.
That's it! Here is a brief video where I explain the same handwork. Have fun out there!!!