Freddies Goals for 2014 part II: Gybing Smoothly

These guys are good - in the J22 they hardly use any rudder to gybe the boat, following the maneuvre rather than even inducing it!  One guy is a Johnstone so probably no coincidence there.

FOr my own gybing technique there are a few pointers, but overall it is to consider each little step and the choreography for myself and the crew around the next steps.

First thing I note- sitting on the leeward side which will not actually help roll the boat to windward to make it bear away, but puts you in a good position to see what is going on through the important mid point of the gybe and nearer the main sheet bundle

- this could be good in the melges too, and an albin express which is a big j22 in some ways if you look at the hull. In the melges it can be a fair old reach over to get the main sheet bundle if you are on the windward side, it seems to make sense to be moving with it and using your free, forward hand rather than working with your shoulder to the crew. Also you are then ON the NEW side already to counter steer or head up in good vision around.

secondly it is to break down what and where the helm will be: We all know we have to follow the crew and call heads and not head up to soon when we are on the stick. Staying low too long can also induce instability in the kite and make the new guy line bounce outside the boat, requiring an extra pair of hands to reign in.

First -move to leeward if desirable, then near the main sheet bundle, and then the crew roll to windward

Also in respect of educating your crew, the bowman should know as at 4.21 to grab the new guy line further back and the other crew should pin down the new police man (barber hauler / tweaker) so the line is accessable. Further to this point, the pole should be pushed up and forward, more than outward- so there is a kind of diagonal vector where you rely on the pole then being made on the mast and the down haul tightened in order for the guy to be safe to pull back and draw the kite clew right back with it.

This is a mistake I have done myself many times when I was on bow- either fishing, or fighting the guy line and ending up with so much friction when trying to push it out an pull the clew corner that it becomes like a lock! Much better to push forward to meet the clew, as long as the pit man has an idea of what they need to do with covering or controlling out the down haul to avoid a sky-ing pole which is sad and broachy as it can mess the kite shape up enough that it stops drawing, leaving the main sail to do its worst levering thang!