Yourbestsailvideo
Gybing and tacking (practice)
10 October 2025 · 4 min · 2K views
What this video covers
A sailing instructor coaches a crew through controlled gybes and tacks, emphasizing the specific sequence and timing each maneuver requires.0:04 For a gybe, the key rule is to center the mainsail completely before the helmsman bears away — if the boom crosses before the main is centered, the maneuver is dangerously uncontrolled.0:04 The helmsman watches the crew member trimming the main and stops the turn immediately if the sail is not yet centered.1:49 The Genoa handling in a gybe is the opposite of a tack: because the wind enters from astern, releasing the Genoa sheet early sends the clew forward of the forestay, where it wraps around the stay when the new sheet is hauled in.0:49 The correct technique is to keep the Genoa sheeted until the gybe is complete, then transfer it.0:49 For tacks, the instructor directs the crew not to release the Genoa until it begins to backwind and flutter.4:06 Multiple repetitions are drilled, with the instructor calling corrections — slower helm, better synchronization, stopping the boat from rounding up after the gybe.1:49 Controlled mainsail centering before bearing away is the single most critical element of a safe gybe.
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