I'm into the last stages of carve gybing (hope), and am working on sail flipping. At the moment it feels right for me to grab the mast as an interim step to the other side(mast more upright and forward?). It looks to me like other people go straight from boom to boom. Is there and advice out there for advantages / disadvantages?

Generally I agree with X-Man. If your doing slow flare gybes off the plane, you will probably need to grab the mast, and most folk do for flare gybes. However, if you are on the plane, it is more efficient to either go boom to boom, or go completely handless, but it takes a while to get used to doing the handsfree version where you push the sail away from you on one side with both hands, then let it spin in mid air as you continue to carve, then catch the boom on the other side. This ones the most efficient and u don't lose speed but takes heaps of practice

Good Advice from Scottih.

Get a good video/dvd and find a jibe that you like the look of and watch it over and over. Get it printed in ur brain so the next time you go out you know all the steps.

Remember, you aren't trying to to a 180 degree turn, Your carve is only about 100 degrees if that. I.e "Go in down wind. Come out down wind". The more downwind your are going on the way out will determine your exit speed.

Gary

this is great guys - just proves that no matter how much you read in mags etc there is always more out there from those who actually do it (no, i haven't read all about LeeD. and his hilarious work on the starboard forums - ncuk ncuk)

Thanks to all out there for the replies - can't wait to hit the water (is wet is good, is wind is better, is both is best)!!

hi mark,

i am not claiming to be robby but i have always sailed front palm up.

I'm finding that mid turn the mast is right up against me and I've got no room to do anything (but drop off the side), or I'm getting tangled up with the rig and it's backwinding. So many instructional DVD's say to apply max back foot preasure, but if I do that it rip's around so tight and hard there's no way it will stay on the plan.
It's a conspiracy to sell more instructional DVD's!
For all the windsurfers I see down here in Melb hardly anyone can do a full planning carve gybe.

Is this happening at the start rig flip or end. If it is at the start you are changing too late, hence being back winded... if you do the front arm straight then push pull thing it should be no where near you.

If it is at the end then you are flattening the board off too much instead of completing the carve bringing the mast too far across the wind and backwinding. Solution is to keep the foot pressure on if strap to strap or heel to inside rail if step gybe this complete's the carve and places the sail in good position and stops you sheeting in when board is dead downwind.

Stick to just 1 instructional dvd, I like Peter Hart's stuff... some people hate him (it's instructional not a windsurfing action movie) but he tells you everything you need to know, you've just got to put it into practice.

oh look, i've just found a movie of this handsome bald chappie doing a hands free low wind gybe

not sure if this will help but shows you what i do to flick the sail around. Once you get the hang of it there is hardly any effort because your hands land exactly where they need to be for normal sailing and you don't get tired, sore hands etc

members.dodo.com.au/thevegemitekid/cecw/photos_videos/gybe.wmv

the front hand near mast is definately the way to go with boom to boom crossover technique. It's not necessary with hands-free type coz you are pushing the boom away from you with both hands (more so with the with back hand than the front) which generates the spin, and you do this while the sail is still full of wind as u head down wind. The crossover version you do slightly later in the turn, and your old front hand is still holding the boom as your new front hand grabs the other side

what helped me alot when learning, was to finish the last half of the gybe holding onto the boom only with the old front hand right up near the mast, letting go of the back hand just before half way through the turn, and concentrating on riding the board like a surf board, and not relying on using the rig for any balance whatsoever (i've never surfed by the way) . Make sure the mast/sail stays out in front of you (don't bring it to your side), keep it at bent arms length until u run out of speed and fall in. After you do this several times you get used to not relying on the rig for any balance. You can then flick the sail around and accross you with the old front hand, to generate the sail spin. U do this heading down wind because the sail depowers and u can easily manipulate it.

it's all just practice. It took me a good 6 months of continues figure eights to master the strap for strap - boom to boom crossover technique. After that you begin to get the feel for throwing the rig around while it's depowered and heading down wind

I have a video called "turning point" where Peter Hart say's even if you sail front hand up switch to front hand down when gybing. Hey, I checked out that clip of Haircut's, seem's like good sail flicking technique but I'm wondering if he's leaning back too much and if it were a smaller board would this have sunk the tail and killed his speed?

Try practicing the sail flip on the beach. You can do lots of them in a short time and dont have to worry about balancing on a wobbly board and can concentrate on learning the task at hand. Once you are comfortable doing a sail flip on the beach you will have a much better chance of doing it on the water. The more you learn on the beach the less you have to think on the water and the easier it will be.

Thats how I finially got the whole sail flip thing sorted.

Another thing I have found with windsurfing is that for everyone who says to do a move one way there will be someone who does it a different way. You have to find the way that suit you so I suggest try all methods.

Cheers
Brett

hey ral inn - beers on me - do you sail eppalock?

quote:

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This one has a number of sailors perspectives on gybe technique.

www.codemaker.co.uk/ww/jibe3.htm

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Great site, good real world idea of what actually happens when trying to get all those steps right (as in, you forget half of them, muck up the other half, and end up bobbling round happy to be still upright). I particularly liked his idea of when to change feet: "...switch 'em simultaneously during any old half-second I'm not steering with them."

I'll be 'firing the arrow' next time there's wind

anyone got a land sailer for RalInn?

i don't remember putting others up - Can you post a link to it? I don't think i've ever had a sail with a star on it

JH will probably be Jem Hall. He goes to the same hairdresser as me