Optimum Pumping Techique

I'd have though the optimum would have just as much to do with individual sailors as maths, playing to their strengths in terms of fitness and endurance compared to ability.

Not really sailing as we have known it, but if people want to make pumping legal because "everyone does it in competitive fleets anyway", then the views of one old codger, who was actually damn good at cheating in light winds if needed "because..." then maybe I should take up a different aspect of the sport.

It’s the age old chess on the water vs physical athleticism argument... truth is, at Olympic level, I reckon it’s pretty much both and too assume it’s no longer just as ‘tactical’ is at best naive, or worse; damn arrogant.

Peaky,
Should have added in light winds.

Originally posted by Peaky Thanks for that. That's a good point about combining with rocking - that forces the pumping frequency to coincide with the roll period. But on windsurfers do you just pump as fast as possible or is there a rate that feels fastest? And could you improve speeds by a fraction of a knot if there was proper research into it?

No, that's a common mistake just flapping as fast as you can, I'd say it's exactly like rowing technique if there's been any research into that it would be worth looking at. Calling it air rowing is pretty accurate, but obviously there are different techniques according to different points of sailing, in much the same way as there are in dinghies. It's obviously banned in dinghies so I've never seen anyone other than ainslie on film and I don't think his techniques is particularly special tbh. Pumping is a very defined art, it requires good timing, it also has to be in tune with any shifts or you lose out, it can also be very effective practised subtley in low wind conditions. It is obviously very reliant on the created wind refilling the sail since the actual 'pump' is replacing the true wind.

Off the start line you live or die from your pumping ability and stamina, it's one place where pumping speed and pumps per second do count if you don't then you die in a maelstrom of disturbed air from everyone else flapping , but that rapid rate just cannot be maintained so once your either up to optimum speed and have generated enough apparent wind to hook in and lock down, or if it's too light you settle down to a rhythm of about 1 pump per second to keep momentum. It's very arduous, light wind races on windsurfing boards are so much more tiring than sailing in a gale of wind.

I understood that a sailing dinghy propelled is 6 times faster round the cans.