New sailor with question about gybing

I took a couple of lessons before buying a Wave and the instructor strongly cautioned against gybing. I've since read a lot of posts about it and clearly gybing is something that most people do and I should learn, but learn carefully.

As a complete beginner, at what wind speed is it reasonable to practice gybing? This would be on a smallish lake - not the ocean.

Not sure why they would caution against it. I love to gybe.

Turn down wind near dead-down-wind... Face aft and reach across to hold the tiller on the new tack while maintaining a smooth turn. With your other hand, reach up near the sail clew and grab the main sheet lines in a bundle. Pull down hard (straightens the leech) and while still pulling down on the sail... pull the sail across until it fills... gradually release your grip. This prevents the slam gybe of an uncontrolled sail. Easier and more stable on a cat than a monohull.

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Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Sounds like an odd thing to caution against. Gybing is a fundamental part of sailing! The only way it really gets dicey is if you take it too slowly and really let the sail slam across the boat - though that's only a big problem with a boom. That said, sailing a cat in general is easiest in moderate winds. Too light and it gets difficult to sail effectively (which gets very frustrating), too heavy and you need to be much quicker in your actions/responses. I'm used to the bigger cats, but I'd estimate that good "practicing" conditions on a wave are probably 6-9 knots of wind. 9-12 knots are good once you get a little quicker/more assured of yourself, and from there it's pretty much all the same, just go for it!

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Mike

'79 H18 standard 'Rocketman II' sail #14921 RIP
'78 H18 (unnamed) sail #14921
'08 H16 sail #114312
'97 H21SC sail #238

The only 2 times I flipped the cat were on gybes, in moderate conditions (10-14 kts). Once, I was going very slowly through the turn. The boom still slammed across, and I think the wind shifted or the rudder jackknifed a bit and sent me into a reach. The other time, the traveler uncleated and sent the boom all the way across suddenly. Bam! I got high-sided. It all happens quickly.

In big wind, experts will advise you to gybe "one sail at a time". The main first.

Commonly, on boats with booms and travelers, you are also told to center the traveler and sheet-in tight just before the turn, (to spill air and scrub speed). But on the racing videos you'll see some folks gybe fast with the main block open and the traveler free to rotate across. Bam! The boom flies across and they are OK. So, I am still confused a bit by that one...

I don't think the Wave has a boom or traveler, so gybing should be easy and safe, like on the Hobie trimarans. Just keep your weight centered, or shifted to the anticipated windward side.

And if your are ever on a boat with a traveler, watch your hands and keep them off the track! Grabbing the boom or clew with your free hand to help the sail across is good advice and will help you keep all your fingers

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The Wind Is Your Friend...

This is key on all types of sailboats:



You can also sheet in as you hit DDW... that reduces the slam, but my technique is best. Like a shock absorber for the rig. With a traveler that is out you have to go with it a bit across the boat. And always keep control of the rudders.

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Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Thanks. That's very helpful.

My preference is to trim the sail to near centerline on a deep, broad reach, then as the sail jibes, release the sheet and let the sail run out. The friction in the blocks keeps it from slamming over, and if you're not in contact with the sail, blocks, or sheet at that point, so much the better.

What Matt describes is what I would call a "racing" jibe and is fine in lighter winds, but I wouldn't try that in more than 10-12 knots.

I use the same technique in all wind speeds. Actually the safest way to do it. Sheeting in to gybe can cause issues as the sail flops over to the new tack, it can cause the boat to pivot hard. More of a capsize risk if you can't sheet out fast enough.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Matt's technique is preferred over sheeting in with the mainsheet tackle since if an errant gust hits you, you automatically depower by releasing. Also, you aren't likely to forget where the wind is when you have both tiller and main clew in hand. Personally, with a boomless rig, I just let it flop over by itself-a tiny bit harder on the rig, but I have shoulder issues and don't need more strain on it.

I suspect the instructor cautioned against gybing only because "on a keelboat" with a heavy boom, gybing can kill someone. I say "on a keelboat" because most multihulls are sailing closer to windspeed on a gybe so the force moving the boom across isn't as dramatic (can still be pretty big, though with big enough wind--I recall tearing the ring out of the boom on a gybe while sailing my trimaran in race start sequence).

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R/Thom
SeaRail 19
Triak
BMW C600
Formerly Getaway with Custom Spinnakers
Formerly raced F24 Mk II

As far as boat speed, do you recommend gybing at full speed, 3/4 speed, 1/2 speed, etc?

Are you inviting disaster by slowing the boats running speed prior to the gybe?

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The Wind Is Your Friend...

Fast as you can go in my opinion.

If you are closer to wind speed... all of the gybe power against the rig is reduced. Slower relative to the wind speed and a gybe would be harder on the rig.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Rhetorical question, what are you going to use for a brake (I know some crew I wouldn't mind throwing over and dragging:))

Seriously, I think you are asking whether to gybe quickly or slowly since a slow turn will slow you as the wind angle makes the sailplan less efficient. If you are running an asym spin and you are gybing outside, the best technique is to go slowly to keep it filled. If you are running an asym spin and you gybe it inside the better technique is to go quickly to keep it from fouling. If you are flying a symmetric spin it is usually better to go slower to reduce loads on the guy. If you aren't flying a spin go quickly (but use Matt's suggestion with the mainsail).

A real problem with fast boats is that we often lose track of the true wind direction. We create apparent wind such that even when off the wind, it looks like we're going to weather. This can cause some issues when gybing. For example, if we are using the asym spin downwind and the apparent wind angle is 90 degrees, if the boat is fast, the true wind might be nearly dead aft...so if you gybe 90 degrees to your current course, you are going to be in trouble very quickly.

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R/Thom
SeaRail 19
Triak
BMW C600
Formerly Getaway with Custom Spinnakers
Formerly raced F24 Mk II

Good advice. No spins yet, just an oversized jib and both sails traveled out.

Often I'll be running at 8-10kts or more and will turn DDW with the main flat & centered for a few seconds to scrub hull speed, until the boat feels balanced. I kinda do that to humor my crew, who's still a little gybe-phobic after our first couple Hulis. (It's not so bad, really. The water's warm here.)

The ones that makes me nervous though are the really fast gybes after rounding the WW mark, where the hull is still carving a wake and you need to initiate a 2nd gybe. My monkey brain tells me to slow the hell down first.

Or when you have to gybe in small waves (such as returning from open water in a narrow channel). The boat rocks a lot as you sail/surf and you can feel the boom wanting to fly back and forth with the motions.

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The Wind Is Your Friend...

This is the best time to see the value of Matt's suggested technique. If you have the main clew (end of boom) in hand you have excellent control over the boat as she passes stern to wind. If you need to carve a second gybe shortly after the first, you only let it out a little before regrabbing; in waves a boom to hold on is even better than the clew...Of course, as the wind speed picks up and the waves get bigger, everything gets harder. Sounds like you have good instincts...

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R/Thom
SeaRail 19
Triak
BMW C600
Formerly Getaway with Custom Spinnakers
Formerly raced F24 Mk II

Best gybes I have done in heavy weather are always when surfing a wave. There is little pressure in the main, it flicks across with minimal fuss and off you go again.

Gybing when going slow often the force of it hitting the other side is enough to bury a bow and send you swimming.