Im a frustated sailor . I can waterstart, blast up wind ,even get a bit of air , but when it comes to the ******* gybe ! I collapse in a mess after the rig flip.

Im sick of watching Peter Hart videoes on how to gybe. The other problem is I dont get out much - work , Kids etc.

Would any one be able to advise on whether a bigger board would help.I was thinking bigger = slower therefore more time. More volume therefore more floatation & less nervous at the end of the gybe making balance at rig flip less critical.

Currently have a 109 litre free ride board 2 year old ,its pretty quick.I like it & am gonna keep it.

I was thinking of buying something around 130 - 140 litres & 70 cm width.

Am I on the right track here, or am I wasting my money & should I persevere with what I have ?

novice, it sounds to me like you almost have it nailed. I think a big board will help you as it will float you a lot more easily in the tail as you carve. Lot of expense though for learning to gybe. Which side do you collapse after the rig flip Are you leaning forward (enough) when flipping the sail/coming out of the gybe

Thanks guys. It sounds like a bigger board will help my gybes , & can only hurt me in the wallet! but is it worth the dough ????

Its the carve gybe I am trying to nail. I can do the flair gybe , theyre not pretty but on my 109 litre board I can wobble around successfully about 50% of the time - I weigh about 75 kg.

Its the carve I want to crack. Everything happens so fast, paticularly at the end. I carve, step , I actually end up on the board pointing the right way but the sail/flip is a disaster, I just havent a feel for it. Im reaching backwards for the boom, its like Ive left it behind . By this point the chop usually throws me in

I use my 109 litre with up to a 7.5 sail. I love blasting with this sail in the flat water & I dont want to go bigger as this means more gear, bigger boom etc etc.

I am hoping 130 - 140 will polish up my gybes & my 13 year old can learn on this , he is certainly very keen. If its not too small for him to start ?????? then its sounds like a good investment. A wide beginners board would be better for him but I dont think will help my gybes so Im not keen to go down that track

Yep, think Gestalt's got it, sounds like you're flipping too late, if you're carving round fast the flip should start as you're going downwind, you could even forget about your feet for a while, concentrate on the rig.
Best condition to learn is lightly powered up (just enough to get you nicely planning) in smooth water. Do as Gestalt says, and follower the wind round with the sail, that way it doesn't have to flip as far.
If you're too powered up you have to oversheet thru the carve and the flip can get quite violent especially if left late.
Although it will help at your weight you shouldn't need a bigger board, spending money on a lesson or 2 may be a better investment.

Another point that may help as an interim measure. As you flip the sail step way forward, new front foot up to the mast or even a bit further. So even if you suff up this should give you more balance and stop you falling of the back. BTW if you find the sail flips around really fast and violent, you leavingthe the flip to late.

3 tips for better carve

weight forward - towards middle of board, no sinking of tail

bend Z knees - really low

flip sail - a.s.a.p try a couple of seconds before you normally flip


hope this helps


oh by the way the one tip that got me my first carve gybes was doing them on a big pieces of swell, it's sort of cheating but the power of the waves gives you heaps of extra time to nail them.

In my quiver I have a strat board 130lt Carve, it handels sailes upto 8m and I have riden it with a 6m in 20 kts..... it can do the most things. For some one who dose not get out much and only wants one board, well..... big means better opertunity to sail in varibul conditions. Rent one from your local suplier and check one out.

Hi ben mack, according to your post time it was only 10:39PM?

quote:

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Ummm, also according to my posted time its 10:48PM...... but I swear im sitting here and its 2:48AM!!!! whats going on!!!!!!!

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The server's in WA...

Who cares if it is 1984 in WA

Looks like it is 4 hours behind NSW... 120 minutes to an hour maybe 2 hours for every 1 = more time to windsurf

Must be India time

YES!

No battens = no worries!

Tight pants and leather jackets... and that is just ON the water

Novice, there are pros and cons in practicing on a bigger board. I myself sail a 103 ltr board and have been practicing my carve gybes for about 6 months now. My girlfriend and I also have 155 ltr Go Board which I take out on light days. Sure is more stable in the turn and more forgiving, but also requires a different technique. I found that after spending a few hours practicing carve gybes on the Go board, when I went back onto my 103, I found them much harder to do. So much so that I now only ever tack my Go board so that I don't pick up lazy habits. My advice is try and get some lessons to fine tune your style stick with your smaller board, more pain but also more gain!