gybing

S

softshuffle

Member
Hello Wise Ones,

This weekend I really came a cropper in our Club champs in medium strength winds.
What exercises can I do do to learn/practice to gybe.

Thank you.
 
Analyse your capsizes. Are they all similar ie. at same point in the turn/same lee /windward capsize? Assuming its a good blow it could be
- not crossing boat early enough [coming from other classes I am suprised how
early you can cross the boat and remain stable]
- boom in water on new gybe
- turning into the gybe with too much heel [kicker set ok?]
- too little speed
- burying nose mid gybe!
- probably a load of other reasons I can't think of.

One thing thats improved my gybes is use of mainsheet immediately the sail load comes on on the new gybe-
Good speed, surf a wave if poss, initiate turn, not too tight, change sides and pull arms length of sheet, boom comes across as you take up new hiking position, extn still round your back, AND NOW let out some mainsheet, get control and change hands. You do not want any tangles, check sheet before the gybe.
Hope this helps. The experts will probably say I'm doing something wrong.
 
Always give your main sheet a sharp tug to stop it catching in the transom, try crossing the boat earlier and try not to roll the boat into the gybe too much. if your still having trouble pile on the kicker and you should find more comfort.

Oh and practice sailing by the lee if your not doing it already (im sure theres how to's online somewhere), once you get the hang of it its the most stabe way to get down wind, and faster
 
One thing ive still not quite grasped is how do you pull off a gybe when you sailing by the lee, say to round the mark, do you need to get back to normal sailing 1st (at least in strong winds) guessing just rolling and flicking the mainsheet might work in light breeze but will end in a swim once it gets heavier.
 
You definitely need to learn balance and control when moving your body across the boat, both when initiating the gybe and keeping it from rounding up after.

I remember one time really I mucked up a gybe. I waited too long to move across and wound up with the boom in the water (but somehow I didn't go over). I just jumped across the boat to roll it flat. The sail filled with wind once I got the boom out of the water, almost in perfect sync with my body motion. The boat just took off downwind, like I knew what I was doing.

Definitely a cool sailing moment.
 
Get hold of a copy of the boat whisperer DVD (buy/borrow). Steve Cockerill explains how to gybe in strong winds on the DVD really well.
 
One thing thats improved my gybes is use of mainsheet immediately the sail load comes on on the new gybe- Good speed, surf a wave if poss, initiate turn, not too tight, change sides and pull arms length of sheet, boom comes across as you take up new hiking position, extn still round your back, AND NOW let out some mainsheet, get control and change hands. You do not want any tangles, check sheet before the gybe.
 
this isnt a way to practice but a tip for gybing is if u hold the boom and as its about to come around hold it and pull it slowly
 
softshuffle said:
Hello Wise Ones,

This weekend I really came a cropper in our Club champs in medium strength winds.
What exercises can I do do to learn/practice to gybe.

Thank you.
Click to expand...

Learn the technique for gybing in different wind conditions, work on one technique at a time for example light wind roll gybe. In medium+ winds you need to keep the boat flatter and must keep the boom out of the water. You wan't to keep the boat balanced in all conditions.

Just as the main loses tension be sure to yank on the main in order to avoid catching the main on the transom during gybes, in medium and high winds it can lead to a capsize, the main sheet won't go out when its caught on the transom. If it does get caught reach back and free it quickly.

If you are going to gybe at the leeward mark, initiate the gybe when you are a beam to the mark, finishing your rounding close to the mark.
 
A couple of people have mentioned speed, and in planing conditions this is really key.

Some folk feel a natural urge to slow down before the gybe in order (they think) to regain a sense of control. Big mistake. The faster the boat is going as the stern passes through the wind, the lower the apparent wind speed in the sail. Thus there is less force as the boom goes over and it is easier to keep the boat balanced and the tip of the boom out of the water.

Learning to gybe a laser at speed is like learning to make a turn when downhill skiing. It is about confidence going into the turn and not worrying about falling over. The more often you get wet, the better you get.
 
Muzza said:
A couple of people have mentioned speed, and in planing conditions this is really key.

Some folk feel a natural urge to slow down before the gybe in order (they think) to regain a sense of control. Big mistake. The faster the boat is going as the stern passes through the wind, the lower the apparent wind speed in the sail. Thus there is less force as the boom goes over and it is easier to keep the boat balanced and the tip of the boom out of the water.

Learning to gybe a laser at speed is like learning to make a turn when downhill skiing. It is about confidence going into the turn and not worrying about falling over. The more often you get wet, the better you get.
Click to expand...

That is very true, when surfing conditions are present the best time to gybe is while surfing down a wave. In heavier air you want the least pressure possible on your sail when you gybe aka while you're sailing fast. I've watched plenty of people try to slow down sometimes going way past the mark to start their gybe, in heavy winds they capsize.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top