Mast Position?

[Pedro Marcos]

Just put the mast in a position where you feel comfortable, that position will probably change with time, you will start going faster and would want to kill abit of that front foot pressure by putting it abit more to the back. If you get a setup where you put the mast in the back end of the board it will be harder to really push upwind, because you lose back foot leverage, but for freeride is fine.

[kitexpert]

I also ride the same setup, 3'6 & 150 wing w/ a single strap in the forward position. I have the mast set @ the 3cm from rearmost position. My opinion after adjusting it several times, is further rearward increases rear foot pressure. Which certainly can get uncomfortable after an hour or so. This is accentuated w/ a longer mast.

This is counter intuitive.
If you move the mast back then your general overall weight is more forward then it was if you stand in the same spot. I think what you are experiencing is fatigue due to not putting your weight on the rear foot but yet having to maintain control with that foot. I have to keep my rear foot in front of the strap and have my mast as far back as possible if I move my foot back, I also get fatigued but not because I am putting weight on my back foot, its because I cannot. Moving the mast forward would require me to move more forward or put more weight on my front foot.

No, it is not counter intuitive. If mast moves back, so does the front wing (which should be quite close in between your feet). If stance location is however same than earlier(for example if board is so short there is no room to move back foot backwards) result is kiter must move his weight back. This means high back foot pressure, for sure tiring after a while.

Kamikuza's see-saw analogy is good. It is possible to balance on it with unsymmetrical position, but then pressure between feet is uneven. If even foot pressure is wanted on see-saw position is of course symmetrical.

The reason why many observe back foot position to mast is because it is easy, not because it is very essential. Essential is feet position to where lift is generated, and it is near front wing position.

If I remember correct H. Sergio has only front wing in his foil. I'd bet his feet are located quite symmetrically to it (more precisely: CoL of it).

So are you saying mast placement does or doesn’t affect things other than the relative foot pressure needed?

Mast (foil) placement affects where you stand on board. Balance and inertia of the board will be different in different positions. If board has tail rocker foil (or board) has different angle when foil is far back. If foil (stance) is too far front board will nose dive easier in water contact. IMO foil placement affects foot pressure only when there is no room to move to new balanced stance (or if straps limit it).

I've always been strapless so no special problems to find feet position, but I still think there is one correct position and I use it.