gybe

The Gybe

I hope you all found the previously covered steering technique helpful with your direction changes. The gybe builds upon your steering skills, as you will have already learnt the first stage of turning away from the wind. By continuing through downwind and switching your feet you will have performed a gybe. Your hands will go to the new side of the boom and you have another move in your armoury. By learning this move and becoming very proficient at it you will be able to call upon these skills in stronger wind, downwind turns i.e. the carve gybe. Intermediate and advanced sailors will greatly benefit from working on the gybe in lighter winds. If you want better carve gybes become the master of this!

Foundation

The gybe will be built from;

Dynamic steering downwind
Clew first control

It will be very worthwhile to check out the clew first beachstart and steering technique articles for a recap. Become proficient at clew first sailing and you will master downwind transitions so much faster.

Fundamentals

Looking where we want to go
Scissoring the board. Using our legs to make our steering more effective
Rig away. By keeping the rig away we have a balance and our body also moves in the opposite direction to where the rig moves
Clew first sailing.

Key Stages

Set-up and turning away from the wind
Switching the feet
Controlled clew first
Rotating the rig and sailing away.

Set-up and turning away from the wind

From your sailing position check downwind for space and other sailors.

Bring the rig forward and across whilst body moves backwards and down away from the rig. The backhand moves right down the boom.

Get low and scissor the board by pushing with the extended front leg and pulling with a bent back leg. The rig is twisted with the front arm extended and back arm pulling in.

Switching the feet

As you approach downwind, keep the rig forward and across you. The rig goes to the outside of the turn and you are moving to the inside to create a balance.

Look out of the turn. With your bodyweight over the back foot then you front foot will be relatively weightless. This enables you to switch the feet; front foot comes back to its new sailing position.

Your old back foot now goes forward as you continue looking forward and out of the turn.

Controlled clew first

Going in the new direction gain control clew first. Remember, body low, back hand way down the boom and clew hand pulled in tight. The better you are at this the more you will be the master of windsurfing!