Can you believe December is already halfway down.... YES, I love this time of year. Christmas time is my favorite.... Maybe because the kid in me still loves getting PRESENTS!!! And giving them of course... but I LOVE surprises! The windsurfing on Maui has been few and far between, if you are really on it, you can find it. I have been doing a few lessons all with great success stories and lots of things to share! Had a good session with Alex here and he had some notes he asked me to go over with him and I thought you Bloggers might be interested to get in on it! My comments are IN CAPS! In case you are wondering if I'm shouting, YES I am.... ha ha

From Alex: It was great to have the lessons with you last week.  I appreciate the insights you shared with me. I hope for more in the future. YES, LET’S KEEP IT UP!! MAUI IS VERY CLOSE TO YOU…. AN EASY FLIGHT!!!

I'm following your advice to take notes for future reference. It looks like it will be a while before I get back on water and those notes will come handy indeed. It is windy in Oregon, but oh-so-cold. COLD IS DIFFICULT!!! YOU GOTTA BE TOUGH AND GET OUT THERE…..

Setup:
- Center of gravity on the boom and two fingers front/back for harness line positioning FIND CENTER, THEN 2 FINGERS EITHER SIDE OR A FIST IN BETWEEN THE LINES!
- Alternatively, back of the harness line 1/3 of the way from the front edge of the sail YES
- 30 cm lines YES
- Do not drop the boom. There is enough control in long lines already. Drop the butt. Boom at shoulder height YES!

Stance:
- Wider. Back foot closer to rear straps. Control tail sinking by putting weight on harness lines and driving through front foot, near mast foot YES!
- Relax, weight on the harness, no weight on arms YES
- Do not look at the board/feet/turtles. Look where you go YES YES YES!!!!

Jibe:
- Do not look back at the clue when initiating the turn, it's too early. Look at the apex of the turn YES, LOOK WHERE YOU ARE GOING…. ALWAYS- SEE THE BUMPS, BE READY
- Look through the triangle formed by the mast and the nose of the board - this ensures weight forward and carving off the front foot YES
- Practice foot work on dry land YES, GET IT IN YOUR HEAD, VISUALIZE YOURSELF DOING IT!!
- Practice balancing on my toes, not heels. Practice standing in balance in the tack position: sail back AND AWAY, body forward, counterbalancing. Toes on the center line. Get stable in this position
- Scissor the board into the wind. Beginner tack: get board as far as possible onto the new tack before switching sides. This way, when I switch side, I can power the sail and it will help balance JUST FOCUS ON KEEPING YOUR BODY WEIGHT OVER THE CENTER OF THE BOARD AT ALL TIMES…. MOVE THE SAIL OUT OF YOUR WAY RATHER THAN MOVING AROUND THE SAIL.
- Really wrap front foot around mast, get toes and foot further to the other side YES
- On transition, slide the new front foot VERY close to the mast foot and step far enough back  YES, STEP WAY BACK AND DROP INTO THE SUMO STANCE, NICE AND LOW READY FOR ANYTHING…
- With front hand REALLY through THROW the sail across my back shoulder - this will create space for me to move and will make it easier to balance YES KEEPING YOUR  BODY CENTERED OVER THE BOARD AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. FAST FEET AND FAST HANDS MAKE IT HAPPEN. KEEP THE HEAD LOOKING UPWIND, NEVER NEVER EVER AT YOUR FEET!!! LOOK DOWN= GO DOWN!