Why is the Planing Jibe the difference between beg and exp?

Goodwind · Joined: 06 May 2005 Posts: 323 Location: On water

...but if you want to stay dry, you better learn how to jibe... Laughing

philodog · Joined: 28 Apr 2000 Posts: 209

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

Almost every intermediate can look proficient sailing in a straight line.
Only advanced can look good on their jibes.

westender · Joined: 02 Aug 2007 Posts: 1288 Location: Portland / Gorge

One thing an expert can do is, look at the water and know the right gear to rig without having to ask anybody else or check an electronic gizmo.

PeconicPuffin · Joined: 07 Jun 2004 Posts: 1830

TheAdmiral · Joined: 27 Dec 2009 Posts: 43

I to am striving for a cleaner ,planning gybe. Live and sail in Florida and mostly use larger gear. I found I hold the gybe too long and flip the sail both late and slow. The board slows (due to lack of apparent wind) and I usually clew for exit. I'm 70 and booked an 8 day trip to Bonaire . So far looks like decent wind in July. Maybe I'll get the hang of a planning and plan to attempt a duct gybe or 2. Thanks, Mark

alap · Joined: 17 Dec 2007 Posts: 156

the biggest problem learning to jibe is that the practice time is very limited.
Say the reach is 5 minutes, so in an hour you can make 12 jybes max. Provided all jybes are successful and the wind cooperates on every jybe (no lull or crazy gust the moment you need to jybe)

and in 4 hour session (that is a good session, I must say) it is 50 jybes max.

compare this with 4 hours on the reach hitting cozillion chop moguls and enjoying every second

or compare with one ski run - like 300 turns?

coachg · Joined: 10 Sep 2000 Posts: 3550

techno900 · Joined: 28 Mar 2001 Posts: 4161

When I work/helped beginners/novices, I tell them that they need to make at least 10 tacks (beginners), and 10 tacks and jibes (novices) before they go on a reach of more than 25 yards. Repetition is the only way to improve. More falling and less fun, but a short learning curve is worth it.

The only reason to go on a reach for more than a minute to learn/practice a carve jibe is to make up any downwind loss because of the jibe.

For me in a 20+ mph wind, 105L board and 6.0 sail, a 5 minute reach means at least 2 miles. One jibe every 2 miles isn't practice.

alap · Joined: 17 Dec 2007 Posts: 156

coach this is true, I can cut it in half, may be, but then I'll be jybing in the middle in the choppiest place; plus those 2 minutes I'll be not sailing, but "sailing upwind", not to loose ground, which is very different. With full reach I enjoy every second of this free ride.

But still, even so, it will be 100 jybes max, not 50.

And if you fall on the jybe the waterstart takes from 10 seconds to couple minutes, depending on wind, and drains the energy if repeated.