Just wondering what percent of gybes and tacks you guys (and girls) make? I ask as I sail with a few blokes that seem to have it all dialled in and seldom, if ever, fall off Where as I (albeit only pretty new to the sport) tend to fall off a fair bit. On gybes I'd make perhaps 50 perecnt on the ocean. Tacks though I survive most- say 90 perecnt unless the ocean is really rough or I'm simply buggered The lakes are much kinder to me, but I still fully expect to fall off within 20 minutes

Be honest. How long have you sailed, what's ya success on gybes and tacks?

Cheers

I'd say you are doing really well.
I have been sailing for years and can only manage 50% gybes on a good day.
I'm better with tacking, but only on a biggish board.

Yeah you are doing well.

On flat water with gybes I perhaps get about 20% fully planing with the flatter water and stronger wind increasing the likelyhood of planing.
I think I'd fall in around 10% of the time when gybing on flat water but if the wind gets too strong that percentage increases. Also as I get tired it increases the likelyhood of falling in.

With choppy water I'd be lucky to pull off 20% of my gybes still standing at the end.

Tacks are about the same however riding a bigger board makes tacks easier.

Sometimes it depends on the day, some days it all goes pretty well. Other days its all sh!t.

gybes are one of those things where if you want to be good at them you have to commit to it.

By commit I mean every time you go sailing you set out to practice your gybes and you practice them every session - you make gybes the purpose of your sailing.
Do much shorter runs so that you have to practice your gybes much more.

It is totally possible to be able to sail most sessions without droping any gybes.
When practiced you can get planning gybes up over 80% of the time (in good, powered-up conditions, reasonably flat water) without having to be a pro/guru.

Trust me when I tell you that if you put the hard yakka in and get your gybes down - they are a pleasure to do and you look forward to nailing the next one

boardboy said...
gybes are one of those things where if you want to be good at them you have to commit to it.

By commit I mean every time you go sailing you set out to practice your gybes and you practice them every session - you make gybes the purpose of your sailing.
Do much shorter runs so that you have to practice your gybes much more.

It is totally possible to be able to sail most sessions without droping any gybes.
When practiced you can get planning gybes up over 80% of the time (in good, powered-up conditions, reasonably flat water) without having to be a pro/guru.

Trust me when I tell you that if you put the hard yakka in and get your gybes down - they are a pleasure to do and you look forward to nailing the next one

I dont know about everyone else but heres my problem. Commiting to learning gybes, tacks, waterstarts. its just to much fun blasting back and forth. Especially when the mate your sailing with is better then you and he keeps blasting past while your trying to learn these moves. Im the same as PHILSWR not many people to compare with or learn from. Im only usually out there with one other guy and on the odd occasion two others. very hard to gauge yourself.

nah who needs to turn treat it like drag racing flat out in a straight line

Seriously though it would be nice to do carve gybe and helicopter tacks and all that other stuff.

20yrs sailing.

100% on gybes, but for planing exit it is much lower and depends on FSW or wave board and of course out the back is easy gybing on a swell

Tacks - never. Have not tried much and maybe it is cos I am near on 100kg and use a 92L and 105L boards but I have no bloody idea how anyone gets aroudn the front of a board that sinks - or why they'd want to anyway.....

Phil I think u are being a bit harsh on yourself, given your posts in the last 2yrs and how long I think (?) you've been sailing I think your progression is reallly GOOD!

It takes a long time to master gybes. This is not kiting.

Sailing for 4 years and still only about 70% success rate about 20 is on the full plane !!! 0% tacks always use semi full sinkers.So struggled to jibe for the first 3 years dancing Feet were a mess and little knowledge of positioning (weight forward) to stay on plane and wrong board selection. Wasn't until i got a type s 96 liter i got it sussed.Think there was a time in that 4 years i was just going to learn to kite cause jibing was that frustrating But perseverance payed off !

Best thing i ever did was get a gps It helps a lot and your kinda challenging yourself . ! You can sus out your turning arcs

!

Mark _australia said...
20yrs sailing.

100% on gybes, but for planing exit it is much lower and depends on FSW or wave board and of course out the back is easy gybing on a swell

Tacks - never. Have not tried much and maybe it is cos I am near on 100kg and use a 92L and 105L boards but I have no bloody idea how anyone gets aroudn the front of a board that sinks - or why they'd want to anyway.....

Phil I think u are being a bit harsh on yourself, given your posts in the last 2yrs and how long I think (?) you've been sailing I think your progression is reallly GOOD!

It takes a long time to master gybes. This is not kiting.

Cheers Mark Don't get me wrong I'm stoked with my progression (been sailing 10 months total) so I'm totally wrapped to be out getting waves, (head high yesterday and it was awesome!!) making half my gybes, doing quick tacks out the back and now trying to work out how to jump- thanks Carantoc for some great pointers last week! I guess like everyone they want to be betterthan they are. Sailing the lakes with really good flatwater sailors is both insperational and depressing at the same time, but it has certainly been benifical, and no doubt help speed up the kook section. There is light at the end off the tunnel, I just want to be on a faster train...lol

Boardboy- "for a real challenge try a full planing helli-jump-tack" Tried a hellitack in 12 knots yesterday and got swatted. But I'll add a planning one to the growing list of must does. Oh, without the broken bones and torn stuff would be nice...

I spent so much time in the water while learning that jet skiers and more experienced windsurfers have stopped to try and rescue me. But I always give it a go, even in a gale, I think better to fall in than stay ashore.

My neighbor who I believed was a pretty competent and experienced windsurfer confided in me he never really learned to gybe, he was just really good at water starting.

Beaglebuddy said...
My neighbor who I believed was a pretty competent and experienced windsurfer confided in me he never really learned to gybe, he was just really good at water starting.

Sounds like me :D

on wave board 0% on both tacks/jibes...though I am just in the phase when I finally managed to get through the shorebreak in Side-ON conditions and made a first FS ride :)

On FS board 110L I get 75% jibes done and same for tacks...

4 years sailing, but only 25 days per year unfortunately...

r2908 said...
Windsurfing a funny thing . Some people figure it quickly & others just never get it .. I reckon its time for a smaller board Phil . Just saying

I'm hearing ya. Got a nice 85 litre Quatro sitting in the shed. Ain't riden it for a while, last time I did it felt bloody small, sunk like a rock and I couldn't up-hau on it, but I could feel it wanted to go and was super loose. But now, a few months on, it may feel ok. Took me 3 months to get comfy going from 116 ltr down to 101 ltr. I will have to drag it out soon and give it another run.

It's been great reading everyones view and success on tacks and gybes. Good to hear everyone (one some stage) will still end up in the drink doing these fundamental moves- so I ain't alone.

Cheers all.

whats a gybe?

Sailing 20 years plus and never pulled a tack off,not even close to it,feels very un-natural.

Gybing on flat water,100 percent

Overpowered and rough water,if i can pull the backhand in to dump the power,around 50-60 percent.

I've only been windsurfing since march2012,needles to say I still fall off 50 to 60 % of the time both gybing and tacing.That increases as soon as the wind gets stronger...As a beginner its good to know these are hard skills to master...Makes me feel less unco that's for sure...When the good sailors do the plaining gybes they make it look so easy...