Fix my gybes

There is a billion threads and youtube vids and online clinics etc

The biggest two tips I reckon (particularly if your problem is running out of speed) are

(1) Start on a broad reach and finish on a broad reach. Then you are turning thru about 120deg not 180 deg. Once planing on a broad reach on exit then you go for straps and hook in, then turn upwind onto the reach. To plane from reach to reach and make the whole thing a carving gybe is unrealistic. Think of a " K " where the vertical bit is your normal track and you want to turn through the sideways vee shaped part. Think "K" as you are about the gybe.


(2) Weight forward. The only back foot pressure should be on your toes and even then it is not much. Most of us lean back way too much. People are worried about catapaulting, but when you initiate a gybe at same speed as the wind, then carve, and are travelling downwind at same speed as the wind, what is going to catapault you? There is no pull in the sail to throw you.

Hmm, yes. I know I flip to late but don't know how to stop it.

Funnily I have more success out in bay waves where I can surf down the face and take my time than I do in flat water.

Looks like you are stomping on the tail/rail and from the tracks upwind, it was so windy you could get planing without bearing off?

If there's plenty of wind, concentrate on turning the board and not on the sail. Turn it in the tightest radius that the board can be kept planing on and make sure you keep it going as fast as possible.
Once you flip the rig, keep steering the board but keep it planing and the rig will swing round to you if you have kept enough speed.

Basically, board speed makes it easier and concentrating on taking the board round while keeping as much speed as possible should help a lot.

i find with my duck gybes that i plane out of them better cause im flipping it over earlier, and keeping a longer radius turn.

Those videos which show you all the steps...they miss one thing - you've got to RIDE that board around the corner like a skateboard or surfboard; really be actively riding the board at that moment coz the sail ain't doing $h!t for you. Don't just think about the next step, control the board as you turn...you can keep tons of speed...

OK, so by doing this I can plane right out of my gybes now...but I still can't flip the f###ing rig and speed off! Over to Nebbian....

I have the same problem..turn too tightly so I lose too much speed.I'll have to go wider but I hate losing the precious ground upwind! I know what I have to do but
actually going wide & fast & keeping it under control & me forward is 'interesting.." The main problem is we don't get suitable windy conditions often enough to practise![}:)]
I also flip too late a lot as sometimes the rig is too far forward for me to grab as I exit ( although that can be from me not being forward enough too ).I remember back in the 90's I used to just fly into the gybes turn the board & forget about the rig - just let it go early and catch it on the exit..none of this weight into the boom stuff..[}:)]..?? Is that because boards these days are faster & lighter & bounce more?

Only tip i can add is if your thinking its time to flip the rig its already too late, so FLIP EARLY!!

You want to be sheeting in on the new side of the boom still on a broad reach(new tack). This is they only way you can exit the gybe still planing

Front straight arm tends to keep your sail and you more upright (and forward) which in turn retains some of the power right into the turn. Leaning back is of course a no no. Three things to remember - commit, commit, commit.

On the subject of rig flip I sail in really rough conditions and sometimes it is easier to plane out of the gybe clew first and once you have your feet in a good position to deal with the messed up conditions then flip the rig. If you watch pro slalom races you will see them flipping very late indeed. Of course those guys are pros. In flatter conditions I tend to flip the rig much earlier (board 90degrees to wind /exactly downwind) which gives me good power out of the turn.

PS - I used to gybe with an underhand grip (leading hand) but there was a thread here years ago espousing the benefits of an overhand position. Took me a while to change but an overhand position is the only way to go.

Hey hey Haggar. I have the Guy Cribb DVD, It's great and has improved things for me but i still can't exit properly

Better see you this weekend mate.

edit: your gybes are better than mine.

I find the one thing that helps is to start the foot change as soon as the nose of the board has gone through down wind, this means the rig flips early and you are powered on a broad reach. Plus what everyone said about pushing down on the boom, lean forward and look where you are going not at your hands.

I've noticed when I get my act together & look to the exit everything comes in place better.Righto Ill go back to my 90's habit of concentrating on carving the board rather than worrying about the rig flip..If it doesn't work you'll probably hear @##$!! at seabreeze..

Another thing people always forget to mention or probably just dont notice is the angle of the mast.

As you enter the gybe people tend to pull the mast forward into the reach but when it comes to flip they fail to bring it back far enuf,

the sail rotation becomes a lot easier when you agressively pull the mast across your body to the outside as the sail flips. This has the effect of reduceing the rotaion on the board. if you dont do this then the sail will force the board around faster into the wind.

Its really obvious when you watch the top guys doing lay downs the mast is almost parralel to the water and they RIP it back all the way accross their body so when they catch it on the other side the mast is already in the right position to power up on the out going reach.