sailorsteven
New Member
My main sheet has a tendnecy to catch on the back corner of the boat when I jibe, which is extremely annoying. What is the best remedy for this. Do I just need to sheet in harder before my jibe?
mainsheet caught on back corner of boat during jibes
- Thread starter sailorsteven
- Start date
bjmoose
Member
Everyone I race against tells me the trick is a quick powerful yank on the mainsheet after the boom has begun to move across the boat; that's when there's all the slack in the line that wants to get caught. The yank causes the slack mainsheet to hop in a way that prevents it from being caught up.
I'm still working on this myself, and get it caught at least as often as not.
I'm still working on this myself, and get it caught at least as often as not.
mattkirman
New Member
There are a few ways that you can prevent the mainsheet catching on the transom, and everyone seems to have their own variation. The reason that the mainsheet catches is because as the boom moves across the boat the mainsheet goes slack, lands in the water and gets dragged behind. I find that the best way is to roll gybe, as this keeps the mainsheet higher off the water and less likely to get dragged behind, and combine that with a quick pull of the mainsheet just before you move across the boat.
There was also a very strange technique that I saw a couple of years ago which was to face backwards during the gybe and physically pull the boom over by using the mainsheet at the back of the boat.
There was also a very strange technique that I saw a couple of years ago which was to face backwards during the gybe and physically pull the boom over by using the mainsheet at the back of the boat.
viktor188924
New Member
Well I can think of a few ways to fix this problem. The first, and what I do, is just try to roll the boat a LOT when jibing. If you really get the boat up on its side, the mainsheet will not get stuck back there. This technique hinges on two things... one is how comfortable you are in the boat, and letting it get sideways, which can be heightened with practice. The other is how heavy you are compared to what type of sail you have, because for smaller people it is harder to get the boat to roll. Another fix is to, mid-jibe, grab the mainsheet where it runs up to the boom from the mainsheet block and give it a light flick.
Hi there,
I am a radial sailor. I used to have this 'mainsheet get caught on transom edge' even till today. But I have managed to minimize the frequency by grabbing the mainsheet portion that runs from the middle of boom and give is a light flick wheneven I do a gybe.
However, if the wind is heavy which is also when every thing needs to be super fast, I will use my shoulder to give a light flick when the boom starts to cross over the middle of the boat. Cos at this point, my body also starts to go over to the new windward side and my shoulder happens to be along the way. So, I make use of it. I do this if I find my hand isn't fast enough to get hold of the mainsheet to do the flick.
Hope this helps.
I am a radial sailor. I used to have this 'mainsheet get caught on transom edge' even till today. But I have managed to minimize the frequency by grabbing the mainsheet portion that runs from the middle of boom and give is a light flick wheneven I do a gybe.
However, if the wind is heavy which is also when every thing needs to be super fast, I will use my shoulder to give a light flick when the boom starts to cross over the middle of the boat. Cos at this point, my body also starts to go over to the new windward side and my shoulder happens to be along the way. So, I make use of it. I do this if I find my hand isn't fast enough to get hold of the mainsheet to do the flick.
Hope this helps.
viktor188924
New Member
Hi there,
I am a radial sailor. I used to have this 'mainsheet get caught on transom edge' even till today. But I have managed to minimize the frequency by grabbing the mainsheet portion that runs from the middle of boom and give is a light flick wheneven I do a gybe.
However, if the wind is heavy which is also when every thing needs to be super fast, I will use my shoulder to give a light flick when the boom starts to cross over the middle of the boat. Cos at this point, my body also starts to go over to the new windward side and my shoulder happens to be along the way. So, I make use of it. I do this if I find my hand isn't fast enough to get hold of the mainsheet to do the flick.
Hope this helps.
In heavy wind, i make sure to hit the new windward side of the boat at the EXACT time when the boom hits. So when you hear the bang of the boom going all the way out, hit the other side. This way there's no speed wasted, and all the force is equalized, so you just go straight forward.
jamesfreedman
New Member
I pull in the sheet a little but the biggest trick to this maneuver is to grab the mainsheet at the front block on the boom as it swings by. Grabbing the sheet at that time pulls just enough slack out to keep it from wrapping behind the boats corner.
personally I never grab above the ratchet block, although thats just my preference. key points for an easy gybe when its windy are simple...
1. get going as fast as possible, make sure the kicker is reasonably loose!
2. pull the main in until its about 75deg to the boat, stick back foot over the toestrap.
3. roll the boat to windward hard, use the hiking strap/centreboard/grabrail/whatever! Let the rudder follow the boat, rather than trying to force the gybe.
4. Watch the leech! Because the kicker is quite loose, the bottom batten area of the leech will start to flip well before the boom crashes over. flick the mainsheet in hard as the boom starts to move.
5. mid gybe, aim to have the tiller, boom, and yourself exactly central above the middle of the boat. this will stop the boat from screwing up into the wind at the end of the gybe.
6. hike the boat flat as the power comes onto the sail. because you have straightened the tiller, the boat should be going still downwind-ish, possibly broad reaching, so side forces should be quite small.
7. get hands and feet sorted out
8. look back and laugh as the guys who you usually swim with, go swimming without you!
Try to gybe while the boat is surfing at top speed, it makes the whole job a lot easier. the mainsail just floats across, nice and gentle! it took me a long time and lots of swimming to discover that the guys who wrote that line in books years ago actually DID have a clue!
1. get going as fast as possible, make sure the kicker is reasonably loose!
2. pull the main in until its about 75deg to the boat, stick back foot over the toestrap.
3. roll the boat to windward hard, use the hiking strap/centreboard/grabrail/whatever! Let the rudder follow the boat, rather than trying to force the gybe.
4. Watch the leech! Because the kicker is quite loose, the bottom batten area of the leech will start to flip well before the boom crashes over. flick the mainsheet in hard as the boom starts to move.
5. mid gybe, aim to have the tiller, boom, and yourself exactly central above the middle of the boat. this will stop the boat from screwing up into the wind at the end of the gybe.
6. hike the boat flat as the power comes onto the sail. because you have straightened the tiller, the boat should be going still downwind-ish, possibly broad reaching, so side forces should be quite small.
7. get hands and feet sorted out
8. look back and laugh as the guys who you usually swim with, go swimming without you!
Try to gybe while the boat is surfing at top speed, it makes the whole job a lot easier. the mainsail just floats across, nice and gentle! it took me a long time and lots of swimming to discover that the guys who wrote that line in books years ago actually DID have a clue!
viktor188924
New Member
True, true, I don't use the flick thing either, but a lot of people like it.
ok, I admit it.... the word "flick" is probably misleading, its just the word I was taught back in the days of noah!
maybe I should have said "pull the rope a couple of feet".
Either way, the essential thing is that you prevent the sheet from touching the water as the boom passes the boat.
a complete alternative, which isnt that practical for racing, but is fine if you are just messing about, is to let the traveller off lots. before you go sailing, let the traveller line of until the top of the mainsheet block just reaches past the corner ot the boat. put a stopper knot there, and release the line to the stopper knot before you gybe. then the rope cant get caught. unfortunately, the blocks can sometimes catch the rudder stock, so nothing is perfect!
The easiest alternative, although not class legal for district or higher level events, but fine for club stuff and playing, is to go to your local dealer and buy the mainsheet wedges, which screw into the gunwhale under the back corner, and take away the gap.
Part number 1515p, and 1515s for port and starboard sides! they're about £10 each in the uk, not sure about rest of the world.
the only problem then is that you wont know whether you're doing it right or wrong until you take them out again!
maybe I should have said "pull the rope a couple of feet".
Either way, the essential thing is that you prevent the sheet from touching the water as the boom passes the boat.
a complete alternative, which isnt that practical for racing, but is fine if you are just messing about, is to let the traveller off lots. before you go sailing, let the traveller line of until the top of the mainsheet block just reaches past the corner ot the boat. put a stopper knot there, and release the line to the stopper knot before you gybe. then the rope cant get caught. unfortunately, the blocks can sometimes catch the rudder stock, so nothing is perfect!
The easiest alternative, although not class legal for district or higher level events, but fine for club stuff and playing, is to go to your local dealer and buy the mainsheet wedges, which screw into the gunwhale under the back corner, and take away the gap.
Part number 1515p, and 1515s for port and starboard sides! they're about £10 each in the uk, not sure about rest of the world.
the only problem then is that you wont know whether you're doing it right or wrong until you take them out again!