O'Pen Bic "Flat is Fast" Instruction in Hawaii

2014 & 15 O'Pen Bic North American U13 Champion, Kanoa Pick; and 2015 North American Top Girl, Pearl Lattanzi, are instructed by 2016 U19 World Male Champion, Lars von Sydow. Pearl and Kanoa work to keep their boats on a plane while heading downwind. They will raise the daggerboard to reduce drag downwind and ease steering. They don't sit, but they keep on their feet or a single knee to move and react quickly to surf the boats. Then they keep their boats flat as they work back upwind. In the gusts you see them stretched to hike out on their hamstrings with a flat body, not sitting on the rail and leaning out, and they are rarely sitting in the boat. They keep their weight forward so they don't drag the stern.

[@thatonegrom9847]

Hey, is this Harold with Hawaii Kai yacht club? I’m one of your former students I believe. This is Lucas, brads son

[@annikakem2918]

What the black thing on the hull beteen the neopren stripes?

[@x2move]

The black is foam deck padding that you might put on a SUP or surfboard. It is soft and helps with grip.

[@ikelord53comments]

my bro not even look at telltales

[@TheCoolhead27]

They seem kind of bow sinky.

[@x2move]

Aloha Loren, Ideally the bows should ride low or appear down in order to lift the stern. The forward placement of their weight on the rails in the video is proper for increasing speed. Dragging the stern will slow down the skiffs.