Keep It Together

One of the biggest differences between less experienced 29er sailors and 29er veterans is that the veterans never break down. Even fast young teams often have problems near the end of the day when gear starts breaking, so it's important to learn the weak points of the boat in order to avoid these pitfalls. To accelerate this learning curve, you should always ask yourself, "What is the most likely thing to break today?" before leaving the dock. Some common answers: halyards, feeder lines, sheets, old sails, trap bail gross tunes, and spin sock.

Pro tip: Never leave the dock without taping your bow pins (forestay and jib pins). This will save your kite from ripping when you set and douse.