How annoying is it when you’re on the same size sail as others of similar weight and you’re not planing but they are! You feel you should be going the same, but you’re not. Sometimes one simple tweak can make a difference; a combination of factors can have a massive impact.

IS IT MY RIG?

First check the sail isn’t excessively downhauled or outhauled and that your boom isn’t too low, both will limit early planing. Ease off the tension slightly, slide the boom up a fraction and move the mast track forward one or two centimetre (you may need to also move your harness lines back slightly to compensate).

IS IT MY BOARD?

Try switching to a fin 10-15% larger and possibly more upright than the one you’re using. This should generate more lift to get you going and stay upwind. If you’ve done all of the above and still nothing, it could well be your board volume; heavier sailors in particular end up being underdone on volume compared to others. But especially when sailing inland, in gusty conditions, using large rigs or in the early stages of the sport, volume is a good thing. So make sure you have sufficient volume for your weight. Finally, a major factor is the shape of the board; if it’s either too narrow, has too much tail rocker or very soft rails, compared to other boards, it will be slower to plane.

Early planing kit solution – Let off downhaul and outhaul / raise your boom / track forward and slightly  larger fin. Demo a higher volume, wider, more flat-rocketed board with sharper rails.

Early planing technique solution – You’ve tuned the kit, but are still struggling to get going? The next thing to work on is your technique. Being able to get planing early, without being excessively powered-up, makes control and gybing far less effort.

1. Getting planing – Get those feet inboard and forward and push through the toes. Adopt a ‘Straight 7’ shaped stance by extending the front arm and/leg and flex the rear leg. Lift and lock the hips, really tightening the torso to direct the power through the rig to the board. Avoid pulling with your arms and over weighting the rear leg.

2. Keeping planing – When going for the straps, keep your weight in the harness, counter balance the rig when you move the feet into the straps. Once in the straps, crucially re-establish a Straight 7 style stance with minimal ‘pull’ on the arms.

3. Staying upwind – To keep upwind, accentuate the lean forward with the upper body and rake the rig back to counter balance. With practice, you’ll end up on half-a-metre less than everyone else – but get going first!