In windsurfing, the faster you go, the more force you create, the more force you create, the more the rig components flex and move. This can be a deteriorating cycle of reactions and can greatly affect the performance and handling.  For the best rig response and handling it really pays to be attentive to connection and fit of your rig components when assembling them.  For peak performance, try to get as much play and connection flex out of your set-up. These are some of the key component fit points to pay attention to:  boom to mast connection; boom extension length; mast extension height and fit; batten tension; clew gap at the boom end; footstrap tension; universal connections; and fin fit.  Most of these flex points are not performance breakers in their individual effect, however, addressed collectively, the group of them represents the best way to sharpen rig performance, without upgrading any of the components.  Here’s a quick run through them and why getting the fit right is important to overall performance.

Boom connection.  This is a biggie, as all the force from the rig and your response to it, passes through this connection.  A good tight mast to boom connection is imperative to good rig control.  This is a leveraged conection, so its importance increases with the length and width of your boom.  However, like anything that's good for you, too much is not, so be cautious about over tensioning the boom clamp.  This is especially true when using a SDM with a boom that is capable of clamping onto a RDM (like a Chinook Triple-Clamp boom), as it is very easy to over tension the boom clamp and damage the mast.

Boom extension and clew gap:  Boom extension tubes are not as stiff as the main boom arm tubes, so if you have the choice, opt for a longer boom that will use less extension length for a given sail size.  Most booms these days have articulating boom heads, so any excess boom length at the clew will allow the boom to move unnecessarily at the clew end, subtly robbing you of rig response and control.  When setting your boom length, use the minimum length possible to get the desired sail depth.  This applies to adjustable outhaul use too – set your boom length.  

Batten tension:  When your batten tension is too loose you’re losing valuable sail depth and cross-tension rig stability, as well as allowing drag inducing wrinkle distortion to the affect the sail.  Keep the batten tension tight, especially the lowest battens where the foil shape is the deepest and most effective.  Not only does the sail look better, but it will also be more powerful, stable and streamlined.

Mast extension fit and height:  The longer your mast extension to more critical its fit into the mast becomes.  There are a lot of variables in this connection due to the component nature of windsurfing equipment.  If your base extension is loose enough that you can wiggle it back and forth without moving the mast, then it needs to be shimmed with some mylar tape.  Otherwise the extension will deflect to take up the slack and rob the rig of some pre-loading from the mast.  The second issue to watch with base extension is using too much, which will unnecessarily jack your rig up off the board (thereby increasing the power sucking gap between the sail and board), but excess base height also allows the pulley to pull back from the mast, again robbing the sail of foot depth and tension.  And lastly, never use both mast base extension AND headcap extension.  Either the mast is too short for the sail’s luff and you need base extension (and the headcap is tight at its lowest setting), or the mast is too long for the sail’s luff and the headcap is extended (while the mast base is set to its lowest setting).

Universal joint:  It’s the heart of a free standing windsurfing rig and there’s nothing like a brand new UJ – clean, crisp rotation on both sides, solid secure fit to both the mast base and board.  With time and a bit of sand however, the clean rotation is worn away and the UJ begins to flex and distort.  Not only are you risking a swim back to the beach, but the unnecessary flex absorbs and dampens rig performance.

Footstrap fit:  Here’s an often-overlooked connection point that can have huge performance and control implications.  The UJ and your feet are the only connection points of the rig and your body to the board.  The UJ is bolted in place, your feet are not.  The footstraps are the connection mechanisms to the board and they are notoriously easy to mis-fit.  For good high-speed control you must be able to lift and roll the axis of the board with your feet in the footstrap (try this on land while sitting on a bench without the fin fitted).  This means a good, snug and comfortable footstrap connection.  Too loose and your feet float from top to side to top seeking a connection point as you slide in to your ankles – too tight and you never get fully attached to the board.  The back strap is the primary fin controller and is usually set slightly tighter than the front straps.

Fit fit:  Getting the fin properly fitted and secured to the board is integral to good performance.  There are two fit issues to address:  the depth of the fin head (fore and aft fit) and tolerance of the fin had (side to side fit).  With Tuttle fins, there quite a variance in fin head and fin box geometry such that it is frequently necessary to either shim or grind the ends of the fin to get the fin head flush with the underside of the board.  If you have to shim or grind, do it on the aft face of the trapezoidal Tuttle head as it’s a smaller surface and be aware that small changes in the length of the Tuttle head have bigger effects on the fit heights.  The side-to-side fit of the fin is often overlooked, but it can have a big impact on performance.  If the fit is laterally loose then you’ll lose responsiveness in the fin until it deflect to tack up the slack.  Shim the side of the fin with a piece of monofilm or similarly non-compressible material.  If the fin is too tight to go into the fin box easily, always, always, always try lubricating the sides of the fin head and insides of the fin box (Sailkote works great) before you take to grinding or scraping the sides of the fin.  Fin heads and fin boxes are often made from stickier, lower durometer resins that are more resilient to flex loads, and a little lube will break the stickiness and allow the fins to be inserted more easily.

Get more from your gear by paying attention to these small details that tweak additional performance from every connection.