| In light winds, gybing is easy. Gybing can be a | | | | gybe. The technique for crossing the cockpit, |
| more difficult manoeuvre in strong winds, since | | | | while steering the boat, is similar to a tack. Hold |
| the wind is blowing directly onto the mainsail | | | | the tiller extension with your back hand |
| throughout the gybe. | | | | throughout the gybe, pivoting your body to face |
| In light winds, gibing is easy. Start on a reach and | | | | forward (in a boat with a centre mainsheet) and |
| bear away by pulling the tiller towards you. Ease | | | | swivelling the tiller extension as you cross the |
| the mainsheet as far as the leeward shroud (at | | | | cockpit, while holding the mainsheet with your |
| an angle of about 80 degrees to the centreline if | | | | front hand. |
| you have a no shrouds rig) to allow the boat to | | | | Twist your body round to sit on the new |
| bear away. It is important to keep the boat flat | | | | windward side deck, with the tiller extension held |
| throughout this manoeuvre. In lighter winds, | | | | behind your back so you can keep steering. Use |
| heeling to windward can help make the boat bear | | | | the same technique as a tack to grasp the lower |
| away into the gybe. | | | | half of the tiller extension with your old sheet |
| Continue to steer through the arc of the gybe | | | | hand, flick the tiller extension across your body |
| with the wind blowing from behind. As soon as | | | | and grasp the mainsheet with your new front |
| the wind starts blowing from the new windward | | | | hand. |
| side (the port side if you've been sailing on | | | | Modern dinghies with asymmetric spinnakers are |
| starboard tack and vice versa), it's time to swing | | | | designed to be sailed with the centreboards or |
| the mainsail across to the new side. On many | | | | daggerboard fully down, including during gybes. But |
| boats, you can do this by grabbing the 'falls' | | | | with older designs, such as Wayfarer or |
| (ropes falling from the boom) of the mainsheet | | | | Enterprise. It's necessary to gybe with the |
| and giving a quick pull. | | | | centreboard partly or fully retracted. This will help |
| As soon as the mainsail has swung across the | | | | prevent the boat from tripping on its foil during |
| cockpit, straighten the tiller to stop the boat | | | | the gybe. The same is true of a single handed |
| turning. The object is to steady to the boat on a | | | | dinghy such as the Laser - make sure the |
| broad reaching course downwind, to ensure it | | | | daggerboard is pulled up halfway during the gybe, |
| does not heel over with the wind blowing from | | | | but still low enough to be clear of the boom and |
| the new side. The big mistake that many | | | | kicking strap. |
| helmsmen make is to allow the boat to continue | | | | When sailing a double handed dingy, the crew |
| turning, since the turn develops its own | | | | should move to the cockpit during the gybe. Be |
| momentum as the boom swings across to the | | | | ready to let off the jib and pull in on the new side |
| new side. The result is that the boat careers | | | | as the boom swings across the boat. Quick |
| around onto a beam reach, which makes it heel | | | | movement of crew weight can be vital to balance |
| over, while the crew scramble to get their weight | | | | the boat when the mainsail powers up on the |
| onto the new side. This often ends in a capsize. | | | | new side. |
| The helmsmen must steer precisely through the | | | | |