WinWind
Chapter 5 · Controlling speed
How to Speed Up and Slow Down on a Windsurfer: Sheeting In and Out
Your back hand is throttle and brake
Controlling speed — step by step
No sheet rope
Sailboats trim with a rope; windsurfers don't have one.
The back hand pulls the boom in = sheet in; lets it out = sheet out. The front hand holds the rig steady.
Quick quiz
- Front hand
- Back hand ✓ Answer
Speed up
Stay on a beam reach and sheet in until the luff stops flapping.
Lean back to balance the pull with your weight.
Slow down & stop
Sheet out: ease the back hand, the sail loses power and the board slows.
Need a full stop? Go back to the secure position.
Quick quiz
- Pull the boom in with the back hand
- Let the boom out with the back hand ✓ Answer
Too much wind
A gust pulls you off balance?
Sheet out first to dump power, bend your knees, then sheet back in once it passes.