Photo: Sam Wai Chan
The tack is turning upwind. Unlike the jibe, it involves a turn towards and then away from the wind. Since the tack involves moving upwind, most people find it harder to stay on the foil during this maneuver than during a jibe. This was also true for me. The tack was a real challenge for me on the foil. It felt like an eternity before I completed my first foiled tack. When it comes to mastering a directional change maneuver, I would definitely recommend learning the jibe first. You can find tips for the jibe here.
However, learning the tack is definitely worthwhile. Not only is it fun, but it also helps you stay upwind and can open up new possibilities for changing direction on the foil even in very light winds.
The two basic versions of the tack
There are essentially two ways to perform the basic version of a tack:
- the heel-to-toe tack
- the toe-to-heel tack
In the heel-to-toe tack, you initiate the tack from a normal heelside position, and in the toe-to-heel tack, you initiate it from a toeside position.
For me, the easier of the two is the toe-to-heel tack, as I feel I have more control with it, can more easily grab the wing with the new back hand, and exit the maneuver heelside (i.e., in a standard stance). I also completed the toe-to-heel tack much earlier than the heel-to-toe tack.
Heel-to-Toe-Tack
Toe-to-Heel-Tack
Videos: Sam Wai Chan
Prerequisites
It is helpful if you can already do the following:
- Ride safely on the foil and be able to head up and bear away.
- Be able to control the wing. I first practiced this on land - first running, then on a longboard and surfskate, and finally on the water, but not immediately on the foil. You can find the basics for wing control here.
- Being able to ride toeside (rotated) is definitely an advantage.
- Being able to jibe is also helpful to already be familiar with a directional change maneuver.
The more consistent the wind and the calmer the water, the easier it is to start.
The sequence of movements in stages
1. Build up speed
Get moving: Speed gives you the necessary lift to stay on the foil.
When practicing jibes, I had already learned that speed tends to simplify things rather than complicate them - of course, only as long as you don't go faster than you can safely control the board.
2. Initiate the turn
Before you initiate the tack, you should definitely make sure that everything is clear and that you have enough space for the maneuver.
Then, continue heading up to steer the board further into the wind – with moderate pressure on the toes if you are riding toeside and pressure on the heels if you are riding heelside. The angle at which the board is tilted to the water should not be too steep, but also not too flat. The golden mean is key.
While a wide turn can be helpful in a jibe, every bit you steer too far upwind in a tack will slow you down – especially if you are "in the wind," i.e., in the area steeper than 45 degrees to the wind, where you can no longer generate propulsion with the wing.
Wing control
Timing and consistent, swift wing control play an even greater role in tacking than in jibing. While in jibing I often mainly focus on the wing not getting in the way, and otherwise concentrate on riding the board, wing control is a crucial success factor in tacking.
As you head up steeper into the wind, the wing is moved upwards and slightly forwards. The back hand can initially help to guide it in the right direction. However, it is crucial that the wing is depowered and the back hand is released in time.
The following images show the sequence of movements for a toe-to-heel tack.
Photo: Sam Wai Chan; Graphic: Silvio Hesse
The wing should be moved swiftly over the head to the other side of the board. For the heel-to-toe tack, this means towards the toeside, and for the toe-to-heel tack, towards the heelside.
It's important to get the wing to the other side quickly before you steer the board into the new direction of travel. If the wing is already on the other side, it helps to carve steeper through the wind.
The hand change on the wing should also happen quickly: first, place the new front hand, then release the old front hand – which now becomes the new back hand – and grab the wing as soon as possible.
Photos: Sam Wai Chan; Graphics: Silvio Hesse
As soon as you have control of the wing with both hands again, you can use it to complete the rest of the turn, build up speed, and continue on a beam reach in the other direction.
Photo: Sam Wai Chan; Graphic: Silvio Hesse
After turning the board's nose in the new direction of travel, the weight transfer from heel-to-toe or toe-to-heel also takes place.
Photo: Sam Wai Chan; Graphic: Silvio Hesse
If you forget the weight shift at this point, you will continue to move towards a downwind course. If you have enough space, however, this is not a problem: simply add another jibe, and you have completed a tack 360 – and everyone thinks it was planned. ;D
4. Reposition your feet (optional)
You can reposition your feet before, during, or after the turn. I can't do it during the turn, however. I usually reposition my feet only afterwards. Briefly touching down during a foot change is completely normal at the beginning and can provide additional stability.
Additional tip
I find tacking easiest in moderate wind. Strong wind helps me more with jibing. However, in tacking, it slows me down more, causing me to lose speed faster.
Even in light wind, tacking actually works quite well – for me, sometimes even better than a standard jibe, because you can use the headwind during the turn.
If there isn't enough wind or speed, it helps to pump a little in between.
The tip that helped me the most was to move the wing to the other side earlier and faster. Consciously implementing this helped me especially with the heel-to-toe tack. With the toe-to-heel tack, I probably already did this unconsciously because I found it easier to guide the wing within my field of vision.
I would therefore recommend starting with the toe-to-heel tack and only then practicing the heel-to-toe tack. If you don't move the wing quickly enough and depower it to the other side, the headwind will slow you down.
You can also practice controlling the wing on land. On the water, I then slowly approached the tack: initially only in taxi mode (i.e., not on the foil). After that, I rode into the tack on the foil and out again in taxi mode. This way, I could get used to the feeling of continually heading further upwind and timing the sequences correctly.
Further Recommendations
I'm not a coach. Nevertheless, I would recommend taking a course. You can do it without, but you'll probably save time and frustration if a professional shows you directly how to do it and what you're doing right or wrong.
Additional videos, books, and tips from others are, of course, also helpful – for me, the experiences and advice of others were even essential. Just ask other people on the water if they have any tips for you if you're stuck on a maneuver. You are not alone. We are all united by the fascination and enthusiasm for this magical feeling of flying over water – and most people are happy to help.
This blog is also based on that. I have received many valuable tips from others on the water and want to pass them on here. The blog is, so to speak, just an extension of the beach – well, or the parking lot.
