I have been getting a lot of questions relating to harness line lengths and figured now would be a good time to share this again...... looking forward to some comments and any input you guys have!<\/p>\n
Harness Line Lengths- Why go longer?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Are you tired of getting catapulted? Are your arms getting pumped up 15 minutes into your sailing session? Chances are you could be sailing with too short of harness lines making your arms work too hard. The goal in using harness lines is just that- USING THEM<\/strong><\/em>! Getting them right is imperative for having a great time on the water!<\/p>\n People always are asking me... What is the correct length? A lot depends on your height and arm length and of course sailing conditions.<\/p>\n When trying to figure out what line length is best for you, a good start is to put your elbow inside of the line and make sure you can put your open hand under the arm of the boom.\u00a0 This gets you close and you can fine tune from there..... Some people have short arms and long legs, some have long arms, short legs- basically we all are different but the main objective is to get comfortable and efficient. I believe that longer lines fit that bill! Here is why....<\/p>\n The best angle of attack for your rig is to be as upright as possible. This is one of the reasons why the bigger and taller you are the faster you are! Your height allows you to be more upright. The shorter you are, the harder it is to keep your rig upright- if you run short lines, you tend to pull the rig over to windward which closes off the power zone in the sail and is not as efficient. What I mean by closing off the power zone is that when the rig is raked too far over to windward, you are hiding the sail from the wind. You are not letting the sail pull you how it wants to. With the rig upright, the wind can hit that power zone and propel you forward efficiently. An efficient heavier sailor can use a smaller sized sail than a lighter person and get planing more quickly and easily with proper technique.<\/p>\n Another reason I am a fan of longer lines is because I am a lazy sailor. I like to be in my harness lines all the time. With my 30\u201d lines, I can sail around in my harness when there is no wind- I couldn\u2019t do that with a 24\u201d line. I can go through the surf when the wind is light in my harness. As soon as I jump on my board, the first thing I do is hook in! When the wind backs off or I run into a lull, I don\u2019t have to unhook to stay balanced on my board!<\/p>\n Boom height also plays a big part in proper harness line length. The shorter you are the lower you may want your boom. I prescribe a boom height that is between shoulder and chin height when you are standing on the board.\u00a0 If your boom is lower than that, you may be compensating for too short of harness lines! Too low of boom also makes you pull the sail away from the rig rather than being able to hang down from the boom- this puts mast foot pressure into the board and gives you more control. Pay attention to that next time you are on the water! The other problem with having your boom set really low is that you can\u2019t control the top part of the sail as easily. Smaller people need to be careful of this as it is a great recipe for the infamous Catapult!!!!!<\/p>\n The other factor involved is sailing stance.\u00a0 A lot of\u00a0 people talk about getting yourself into number 7 position.\u00a0 I totally agree with this position in a perfect world with no chop and no gusts!\u00a0 However, when you run into a big gust, you need to be able to adjust to the wind. Basically you need to be able to keep your rig steady and not allow it to move around. Longer lines allow you to do this. I like to think of the number \u201c6\u201d position, a method for being in control in the high winds with lots of chop and gusts. Be ready for anything with your weight low and always have room to move! You can stick your butt out and bend your knees and still keep the sail upright when you get overpowered and need to adjust for large chop! That is our goal, keeping the sail steady and staying in control.<\/p>\n As a general guideline, I think most people over 5\u20199 should be using a 28 or longer length line. Bigger dudes over 6\u20192 should be using a 30\u201d or longer. For the average sailor between 5\u20194 and 5\u20198 I suggest either a 24\u201d or 26\u201d line. For those of you 5\u20193 and down, you should be good with 22\u201d or 20\u201ds.... just be aware of keeping your rig as vertical as possible!<\/p>\n If you are unsure of the perfect line length, it might be time to experiment. I suggest getting an adjustable set of lines and playing with them to dial in your perfect setting. Once you establish your desired length, get a set of fixed lengths as they are much easier to get in and out of!<\/p>\n Benefits to longer lines:<\/p>\n Drawbacks to short lines:<\/p>\n Hopes this helps you understand the concept and your sailing improves from it!<\/p>\n Best Winds,<\/p>\n Matt<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I have been getting a lot of questions relating to harness line lengths and figured now would be a good time to share this again…… looking forward to some comments and any input you guys have! Harness Line Lengths- Why go longer? Are you tired of getting catapulted? Are your arms getting pumped up 15 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3502,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2462","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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