What sequence of events do you guys run through when gybing with the spinnaker? I ask this in terms of the mainsheet/traveler/spin sheet/helm. There are differences in the procedure I am sure in light vs moderate vs heavy wind. I am interested in moderate-high wind procedure. HELP!!!! I seem to have a bad habit of going over right after a gybe in decent wind! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Keep the angles small until you are through the gybe.

I tried returning your call to no avail.

Yes, it does sound as if you're heading too high after a gybe, and then get slammed once your boatspeed takes a dive.

Some try to float the spin across as long as possible with a smooth, carving gybe. As long as the main is reasonably tight, there shouldn't be too much shock when it comes across (if you've got hands, you can swing it over by hand)

Boat speed is king. Whatever you can do to keep your boatspeed up during the gybe will reduce the "knockdown" on the new point of sail.

Stank is talking gospel. If you are getting hammered on the other side, you're probably not carrying enough boat speed. It goes against the grain of intuition when things are crazy and your sailing downwind...you would think slowing down is wise. However, the apparent wind your boat sees when going slow downwind is greater than the apparent wind it sees if you keep your speed up....the faster you go, the less power you have on the boat. Also make sure that you are not gybing right when a gust is bearing down on you - your speed won't be up to par with the new windspeed.

The crew really must get the spinnaker across cleanly and plan his move down to the detail of where his hands are going while he's moving across...no back-wind'ing the kite here or you're done.

sheet the main in as well.

What others have said is correct: you need to do it with lots of boat speed and be careful not to get too high after the gybe. You asked about mainsheet and traveller: traveller should be centered and the mainsheet tight. Aside from being where you want them anyway, having the sail centered means that the boom goes across more gently.

In terms of avoiding capsize, don't worry too much about the kite. The most important thing is for your crew to get their weight across at the right time.

Paul

I fully understand what you are saying about boat speed, you are lowering the apparent wind the faster downwind you are going (at least when you are passing through DDW). How do you really keep up speed when you are gybing? Sailing the kite across helps, is there anything else? Leaving the main centered and tight- some people say play the traveler a little to keep speed up but that would have to be for lower wind conditions.

The idea is to try and gybe when the boat is sailing well, quite often we say 'ah this is going rubbish - lets gybe now' which is a mistake. Its similar to the rule that you only tack when the boat is sailing nicely to windward.
after we decide to gybe, its the crew that dictates what happens - the helm steers to his actions.

Personally, and I do this when singlehandedly gybing my F16, I just arc the boat through the gybe and let everything take care of itself except the spi sheet and handing the tiller across. If you have good speed and a nice sharp arc then the mainsail will come across nicely on its one without any skipper intervention. Even the spi will almost gybe itself then.

So in summary.

-1- pick up speed, plan you turn.
-2- start the arc, throw the tiller overboard and track through the arc fast but gentle.
-3- Keep the spinnaker drawing till it wants to gybe, while you wait move to centre of the trampoline.
-4- let go of the spi sheet and pull the new spi sheet in, no in a wild manner byt quickly just the same, make sure the spi gybes nicely and starts drawing as soon as it can.
-5- settle on the boat and pick up speed again.
-6- pick the tiller out of the water when all is under control.

Before and during the gybe I still by the tiller bar and not the joystick. You can easily let go of the tiller bar and quickly find it again. You can not with the joystick.

Wouter

Wouter:

Thanks I needed something like this. I am going to race the 4.3 in the 20 mile Redfish Reach this weekend at www.tcdyc.com. Will be my first race/use of the snuffer spinnaker.

Doug

We leave main and traveler alone before, during and after the gybe. Going in with plenty of speed is important for really crisp gybes in a reasonable amount of wind.

Go in quick (heat up a little if necessary), then start a smooth carve - not so quick that the rudders lose flow attachment, not so slow you drop speed. I tend to increase steering a bit towards the end of the gybe vs. the start to get it finished and powered up again before the speed drops off too much. I'll feel it begin to lift the hull as the power comes on. At that point I'm already smoothly steering down a little to keep that hull just out of the water.

The crew takes the slack out the lazy sheet and has it in their hand as the gybe is initiated. They then float out the spin sheet as the boat turns down, before hauling in on the lazy sheet once past dead down wind to get it hooked up again on the other side. When done right the spin will fill with a satisfying *pop* and the boat never really drops much speed at all.

If its really windy I'll just leave the hot stick dragging in the water all the time and steer from the tiller/cross bar connection for greater precision and swifter reaction to big puffs (my crew goes out on the wire - I stay on the tramp).

Chris.

Flump,

Try this for the spinnaker gybe - don't float the spinnaker out as the boat turns but just as the spinnaker starts to backwind, tug the active sheet hard, then go across the boat taking the lazy sheet (the new sheet) with you and reel it in. The tug / pop just before the spinnaker deflates makes the luff fold to the new side without wrapping around the luff - gybes are much faster. The timing of the tug is critical however.

Thanks for the tip Jake - we'll give it a go later this week.

Chris.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of GRP, I shall fear no back strain, for carbon fiber art with thee...

My hot stick and fully battened jib comfort me.

My apparant wind overflows


AMEN.

Now, all rise for the concluding hymn, found in your sailing hymnal:

"what a friend we have in Pentex"

Failed to do this last Saturday and put the boat over twice! "Smooth" seems to be the key. Anything jerky and I'm swimming. Gettin' pretty good at righting though! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Also, acting on advice from the F16 forum. I've started "hunting" the wind when under spinnaker. Heading up a little, flying the weather hull and driving the boat down with speed. I'm not very good at it yet. Even so, it makes a huge difference.