• Only gybe when the boat is at maximum speed and not while it is accelerating. The pressure of wind on the sails will be less, making the boom easier to pull across the boat.
• It is easier and safer to gybe from run to run rather than from reach to reach.
• The centreboard should be about halfway up (or down!) which will allow the boat to slip sideways and avoid a broach. Some plate is necessary to give some grip on the water to turn and to climb up on should a capsize occur.

• Crew weight should be kept as far back as possible to prevent the bows digging in and the boat broaching.
• The boat should be sailed upright throughout the gybe to maintain stability and prevent the chine digging in causing a broach.
• Kicker, Cunningham and Outhaul should be tightened to flatten the sail to prevent a "Chinese gybe". Minimal twist and belly in the mainsail will help a great deal to get the boom over with the least drama.

The sequence of events for a successful gybe is as follows:-

1. Approach the mark wide giving yourself plenty of room for maneuver.
2. Crew sits in. Helm sits back.
3. Kicker, Cunningham and Outhaul on.
4. If sailing with spinnaker, put leeward twinning line on and let windward one off.
5. Spinnaker guy is hauled in until pole is 90 degrees to boat.
6. Bear away until sailing by the lee and genoa starts to back.
7. Crew lets off genoa.
8. Helm pulls in mainsheet until sail is just off the leeward shroud.
9. When everything is right helm shouts "Gybe Ho!" and crew hauls the boom over using the kicker while helm simultaneously crosses the boat, sheets in and puts tiller across to new side.
10. As boom comes across the boat the helm lets mainsheet off. The boat should now have rounded the mark and be on the new gybe.
11. To prevent broaching at this stage the helm should pull the tiller to windward momentarily .It is important at this stage to keep the boat upright and trimmed aft as it is all too easy to screw up to windward and capsize due to centrifugal force.
12. Genoa is then sheeted in and crew does the necessary with the spinnaker pole. Helm must keep weight right aft as crew works near the mast.
13. Trim sails and zip off to the next mark with grins all round.

Andy Welch GP13175  "Moby"