When & why should you remove the daggerboard?

As you progress through the sport there will come a time when you need to remove the centreboard...but when is that point...and what does the centreboard even do?
In this video I'll explain some instructor secrets of controlling the board with and without the middle fin, how you can ensure you sail up wind effectively, and the affects it'll have on the board whilst gybing!
As always on this channel the whole explanation and demo is live on board with Cookie, this summer filmed in Vassiliki, Greece.
I'm coaching here all summer, feel free to drop me messages about clinics and coaching sessions I can offer out here in these epic conditions!
Anything specific you want me to film? Drop me a comment on the bottom too!
Thanks for watching!

[@robertedwards3551]

That dagger board down during a gybe explains 30 years of frustration... what a relief! Many thanks.

[@Cookiesports]

👍👍👍👍

[@fertysurfer]

I've been sailing a 75ltr for years now and still I watched this. Just love the way you teach and explain things. Wish you'd had this channel all those years ago. Thanks for explaining what I didn't understand then and why my gybes are still crap. 🤣🤣🤣

[@Cookiesports]

🤣 glad I could help!

[@2kcars507]

Great tips for transitioning away from beginner boards.

[@Cookiesports]

Thanks

[@joegar72]

I still consider myself a beginner and that's why I've been using the daggerboard till now. I tried this today after a few years hiatus from sailing. It worked great. I was able to leave the daggerboard up the whole time and felt like I had plenty of control. Thanks for this.

[@Cookiesports]

Happy to help! Stick at it! 👍👍👌

[@adambotica6419]

Perfect video for me! I am right at that stage of understanding toe side pressure and heard people talk of windward rail pressure but it wasn't working for me.. now I know why I'll be sure to try this next time!

[@Cookiesports]

👍👍👍👍

[@juliansernik4492]

Exactly the info I needed. Well done!

[@Cookiesports]

Thanks for watching!

[@philreeves1178]

Great video, love your teaching style 👌

[@Cookiesports]

Thanks!

[@kittinplus4]

thanks for the tips and for the detailed explanations!

[@Cookiesports]

Thank you!

[@Pierrefj]

very usefull video! thank you and don't stop, it's perfect!

[@Cookiesports]

Thank you!

[@idanfarkash8080]

excellent video!

[@Cookiesports]

Thanks!

[@hans-peterkoning5446]

Thanks for your very well explained Videos 👍👍👍 very helpfull for me as a Beginner 😉👌

[@Cookiesports]

Thanks! Glad I could help!

[@aurelianjohn-herpin1314]

Nice video once again, very useful!! Exactly what I was missing in your last upwind sailing video, because in it you talked about keeping the board flat, but here the conditions are so light that you better tilt the board a bit to help move upwind, right?

[@Cookiesports]

Flat board is fast from front to back, but when you don’t have a centre fin you’ll always need heel edge pressure (in all winds) to get up wind. 👍👍

[@jankucera8505]

YOUR FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE

[@Cookiesports]

😎

[@MrDimitris84]

I’m coming to Lefkada every year. Where in Vassiliki can I find you? Are you working for one of the windsurf clubs?

[@Cookiesports]

I’m based at the Hotel Cosmos. See you there next summer for a clinic! 👍

[@GLOCKDPLUSFlowriders]

@@Cookiesports Ok NOW you have really piqued my interest! Please explain what a clinic consists of. Is there a 7 or 14 day clinic available to us Brits living in the US, or only for UK residents?

[@Cookiesports]

@@GLOCKDPLUSFlowriders Hi! Clinics are always open to everyone! I run bespoke 1:1 clinicians throughout the summer here in vass. I also run two group clinics a summer, aimed at general board control on the plane, entering and exiting manoeuvres with more speed and control. Best thing to do is drop me an email and we can discuss whats best for you. All info in the description. Thanks

[@dimitris2d]

Hi and thanks for another well explained video. I have a question that it’s kind of related. If you could buy only one board for a lightweight beginner would that be with a CB without question or you could get away with a large non-CB as well? I learnt to windsurf on a non-CB board and it took me time and a lot of effort to reach a decent level so It makes me think that probably the CB is crucial during those early steps.

[@Cookiesports]

Why not look into something like the starboard GO. It has a removable centreboard so you can use it as a beginner, but then also remove it and have some great higher wins planing action on it too!

[@dimitris2d]

@@Cookiesports Thanks for the reply. I thought the Go was without CB but I just checked it and it offers it for the larger volumes. That's nice to know.

[@chucky882]

Bro just wondering what is your equipment preference (board/sail/fin) during light and high winds and if I may also ask your height and weight?

[@Cookiesports]

Light winds but still enough to plane in? I’ve been liking the NCX from Severne matched with something like a carve or futura (starboard). I’m about 175cm and 75kg.

[@chucky882]

@@Cookiesports Cool! I currently use tabou board and maui sails (now phased out)...thinking of getting smaller sails, will check out other brands. Thanks

[@yorkewu9946]

Can I ask what kind of mount you were using for the 360 camera, the one on the mast, thanks!!

[@Cookiesports]

Bit of a mix of mounts TBH. I’ve promised if/when I hit 10,000 subs I’ll do a full into to my cameras, mics and mounts! Share the channel and I’ll get there quickly! 😜

[@yorkewu9946]

@@Cookiesports hahaha NP, I will try to get 10 active subs for you!

[@Cookiesports]

🙌🙌🙌🙌

[@GLOCKDPLUSFlowriders]

Although I have never tried a modern board, they seem way more stable and have more volume than the boards from the 80's & 90"s. Therefore I am seriously considering teaching my wife on a board without a daggerboard. It will confuse her trying to sail upwind, attempting to gibe, and will just annoy her I think. (The first thing she did after wakeboarding a couple of times was to remove the fins, enjoying the slippery feel!) I am sure that she will progress quicker on a board without a daggerboard.

[@Cookiesports]

You are right, more modern boards are much more stable. However, for a beginner, I would highly recommend sticking with a dagger board for a while. The improved stability, and upwind sail ability will make things far easier for her.

[@GLOCKDPLUSFlowriders]

Ok. Thanks. I will take your advice.

[@gregnw44]

Hi & thanks for the great vid with super helpful info:) I only have a question about one part - from 6:35 - 6:55 you say that a big free-ride board with a 50cm fin will have about the same 'Fin Area' as a basic longboard with daggerboard & fin combined? This might be true if your longboard has a very small daggerboard & very small fin. But I'm pretty sure the Fanatic you're sailing has a decent daggerboard & fin. And if you add up the surface area, you'll get more 'Fin Area' then you will with the Go board. My basic longboard which I use for teaching, has a 57cm daggerboard which also has a lot more chord width than a free-ride fin AND if you add that to the 34cm fin (which has similar chord width to a free-ride fin)... you would get WAY more surface area! Also - for novices sailing slow in very light wind, it's nice to have that daggerboard right under their body for sailing upwind, instead of a long fin at the tail. Thanks again for the great vid & I look forward to your thoughts :)

[@Cookiesports]

The calculation is very rough. The fanatic vipers have notorious small fins- sailing up wind with the CB is VERY hard- hence the point of if you’re learning to do this, it’s often worth changing boards- or putting a bigger fin on. Slow sailing in light wind the CB always help- beginner to advanced- thing is though to progress into higher winds, harnessing, and speeding up you need to loose the CB, and that’s what this video is about. 👍

[@gregnw44]

@@Cookiesports - Thanks :) Ok, yes, as you said, "it was a very rough estimate". And I agree, when sailing in lightwind the CB always helps, whether you're novice to expert. And agreed, as students progress into higher wind, that's the time to lose the CB, no question about that. But not sure why you say sailing upwind with the CB is "VERY hard"? (I'd say it's much easier & quite effective.) In fact I love the way you show 'railing' to sail upwind with the CB... and CB steering while jibing (all in lightwind). Anyway thanks again, well done. And will be sharing your vids with students & other instructors :)

[@Cookiesports]

Haha! Sorry, very big typo that made it make n sense- I meant to say “sailing up wind with a CB Board- but no CB in the the water- is very hard, hence the point….” Sorry, that makes more sense now! Thanks again!

[@gregnw44]

@@Cookiesports - cool, thanks for explaining the typo :) Yes, sailing upwind with the CB is great, whether in light or strong wind. But when students move to boards without a CB (because they're windsurfing in high wind regularly) then, having the correct fin size makes a huge difference for upwind sailing!

[@debu3255]

🤙🤙🤙🌊🌬️☀️

[@Cookiesports]

🙌🙌🙌

[@slickvisualpoetry]

Would have loved to see what dagger board planing looks like. Never had a chance to experience it, didn't find a video on KZbin. I changed relatively quickly to a Surfline Munich Thruster with a lot of lift. Going upwind is easy, you get planing early, and it is steady as a rock.

[@Cookiesports]

I did film it but you couldn’t really tell what was going on tbh- just me screaming! 🤣 On board it looks the same (ish) just feels super out of control! Do you follow my Instagram @cookiesport? I’ll post it in the story’s tomorrow.

[@chsciclismo]

So glad found this!!!!! Great stuff

[@Cookiesports]

Thanks 🙏

[@joakimyliruusi]

This heel/toe pressure going upwind was new to me! 2 weeks of windsurf and yoga holiday starts today so definetly gonna try it out. I've always tried to keep the board flat while trying to go upwind also!

[@Cookiesports]

Have a great holiday!

[@karimelkasrawy9668]

Can you please chat about the effect of board shape on the ride? Rails, tail, width, rocker, volume distribution, double concave … etc?

[@Cookiesports]

Hi! I’ll have a think about how to fit that video together! Thanks for watching!

[@mikeu5380]

I'm trying to figure out when not to use the daggerboard in my small sailboat (folding Seahopper), and you've clearly explained it to me at 8:30. Thanks so much for that!

[@Cookiesports]

Happy it can cross over to other sports! 👍

[@kev-the-windsurfer.]

Never forget the fundamentals!! Looks like a beautiful day!! I still like geting out in the light air on mt Mistral Equipe!!

[@Cookiesports]

It’s stunning out here! Thanks for watching as always!

[@jnergo8406]

Exactly what I was looking for, and couldn’t find anywhere else, thanks !!! I am 100% confident on my Exocet Windsup and daggerboard, and bought a 155 JP with a large fin, so what about putting the large fin on the big board, would it be easier for learning planing and going upwind ?

[@Cookiesports]

Putting the large fin on the very large board (that has the centre fin and small tail fin usually) would help you to sail it and potentially get planning on that board. A 155 JP is a great progression board too though, if things are going well on that one maybe stick to it!

[@denoeko]

Awesome tips.

[@Cookiesports]

Thanks