geez nebs, I think your over analising this to the enth degree, the whole hip movement to the angle of 2.65 degrees to the north etc can be best explained by this:

"just chuck it into a turn, the more often you chuck it in, the quicker you will learn"

dont forget the whole thing is a "carve gybe"

this technique doesnt require any thinking and works effectively 98% of the time

actually Ill add to this and say, If you think about eating with a fork you will probably poke your eye out, same same , cant wait for the winds to blow this year yeehaa

blame it on the lack of tele Nebs

I'm with Nebian on this, but I'd use this movement a bit earlier than going downwind, almost at the very start of the gybe.
Mike F posted this method on the rec. windsurfing newsgroup several years ago.
The first time I tried it, went round so fast, didn't have time to flip the sail!
One of my mates got it on video, so much spray only my head was visible.
Previous to that I'd been using a surfing style bottom turn aproach to gybing, lean everything into the turn, gets the board over at a good angle, but I think all that weight outboard increases the angular momentum.
Putting your body in a "C" forces the rail down, but alows the weight to stay more inboard.
No matter how long you've been gybing, this method is worth a try, you may be surprised.

I have been reading the May and June edition of Windsurf Mag from the UK and noticed that Peter Hart (who has taken me from lake sailor to carve gybing wave sailor) has done a 2 part carve gybe article. What I thought was interesting was that his previous articles (say 5 years ago) were really technical like do this, then this, then this, etc but his latest articles are more "don't over analyse, just go for it".

My best carve gybes are when I'm thinking about what I'm going to do after the turn eg getting back into a gust, riding a wave, dodging a ferry. When I fly into a turn thinking about what I have to do, it usually ends up in a bad gybe.

There are loads of "key things" to do, but I find the best help is to look at an article which has a picture of a good carve gyber (leaning forward in the turn) and a picture of a bad gyber (hanging back under the sail).

Neb, I agree on the hip rotation, it's similar to pointing the front knee to turn a snow board. Best advice I can give is find flat, shallow water and be slightly overpowered and lean into the turn. I got better when I started brushing the water on the inside of the turn with my back hand. It makes you lean and the sail flips automatically. Although you look like a d**k.

Hey Harrow,

I'm getting about 50% of my gybes now! All of them are slogging, haven't managed a fully planing gybe yet, but came close a couple of times. The hip movement really really helps me. Without the hip movement I slog to a dead stop and have to do a flare gybe, with the hip movement I carve round to the other side and can get going again while keeping my hair dry. Most of the time!

Haven't figured out the boom to boom flip yet, I'm still grabbing the mast (OK Tony, no need to tell me how many cases I owe you), I know it's bad, but it works. I figure that when I'm getting a better percentage then I'll worry about the boom to boom. Like Harrow said, one skill at a time

I read that link you posted, looks interesting. I think the only thing that can help me now is time on the water, the more gybes attempted, the better you get.

Crash Landing (and md74) raise an interesting point. Is it better for an experienced sailor or a relative newbie to give advice on how to gybe? Experienced sailors say "Feel the vibe, go with the flow, think of nothing but the sound of one hand clapping", whereas newbies give step by step instructions. Which is a better teaching method for a carve virgin to follow? Have the experienced guys forgotten what it's like to have that sense of impending wetness rushing up to them as they get closer to the opposite bank? Or have the 'step by steppers' missed the point of the whole excercise?

Perhaps it's like driving a car. Do you tell L platers to just feel at one with the road, or do you tell them things like "Clutch IN when you coast to a stop"?

spot on Harrow, well put. Try explaining to someone how to jump over a puddle, its bloody hard!

So, yeah Nebs get out there and learn to become one with your kit, personally I found the best way was to enter your gybe over and over at speed, fall off 100 times if needed, get that feeling under your belt of the dynamic of entering the carve at speed, after all that is the first step of what you are trying to achieve. Then it will be a natural progression to wanting to continue and the sail flip will come along. Probably the biggest tip and Im sure most would agree is to keep a big arc going, you will just get to a point in the turn that will just feel right to chuck the boom away from you.

Wait for those perfect 20kn SE low tide days at the Train, and gybe, gybe, gybe. Dont worry about falling off, it will get you there quicker if you get in and just go at.

Look forward to the day that it happens for you, Im sure we will all hear you hooting and screaming!!

quote:

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Originally posted by nebbian


Haven't figured out the boom to boom flip yet, I'm still grabbing the mast (OK Tony, no need to tell me how many cases I owe you), I know it's bad, but it works. I figure that when I'm getting a better percentage then I'll worry about the boom to boom. Like Harrow said, one skill at a time

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I just need you to forward the appropriate number of Melbourne bitter slabs to fiji in time for my arrival in Mid August.

But on a serious note. grabbing the mast has no merit, it is no easier than going for the boom. It just a mind thing. practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.

My tips:- bear away heaps. lean over till boom wants to touch water, look up and where you are going, when rig feels light let back hand go/ slide front hand to clamp. don't change body position and let sail rotate behind you. at point where boom starts to peel out of your hand reach with new front hand and grab boom, then old front hand becomes new rear hand. You are still in original lean and sailing toeside. now switch feet hook in.

Then as you sail away, cry out at the top of your voice.
" HA HA Tony L. NO more beer for you!!!!!"

hey justin, I dont know what i do lol! chucking the boom was a figure of speech, like I said, try to explain how to jump a puddle ! left leg first, no right leg doh how do I jump a puddle without thinking about it. I would say that my rear hand does give the boom a bit of a shove to help it on its way, thus "chuck the boom". I aint the best gyber either, but I find the more you relax, carve the board, and go with the flow the better it seems to work. Im sure this summer will be nebbians "summer of the gybe"

quote:

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Originally posted by Haircut 4000

Nebs, there are people who have been sailing 15 years or more who still haven't progressed as far as you have in just 6 months

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Ha, and I'm one of them. Started sailing at age 16. Learnt to water start at age 38.

Just as I dedicated three days to continuous water starting to crack it, next summer I'm not going to sail more than 200 metres without placing the board into an attempted carve gybe until I crack it. (And I can only imagine my water starting is going to get better and better! )

Bloody hell fulla's I feel good now. did couple months learning basic stuff three years back, got real crook and only started full on in Jan this year.
So the ones carving n getting it 100% right each time, I see each day are not the average bloke then. Bloody beuedy, theres hope for me yet
Funny thing, I wouldn’t go near water on a 40deg day in summer when a young gun. My wife reckons I am nuts boring in at Winter (well its supposed to be Winter) doing this stuff.

Only regret was...... I didn’t start years ago, best sport in the world I reckon(well outdoor one anyway)
Nebbian, you keep posting your stuff, mate I am leaning heaps from you and the comments that follow.

hey nebbian I will add this, look ahead to where you want to turn, and try real hard not to look down at your feet etc when turning, a bit like driving a car, if you look immediately in front of you its scary, but we train our brain to look way down the road, this will help in your body and mind using its own natural balance. Ive coached both motocross and downhill mountain biking, and the biggest thing from novice to intermediate to pro is the distance of which the focus is made, example, hitting a big jump on a motocross bike, you spot the ramp, then once airborn you are sighting your landing, before you land you have allready sighted the next turn, obstacle etc

so applying the same principles, helps, keep the posts running, it creates enthusiasm waiting for summer

Ok. You guys have spoken about technique for a carve gybe, and I have read dozens of articles on 'how' to do it. What about equipment??? What is the best size and style of board/rig to learn on? Is my 90L slalom board hampering my progression???

Mikey, whilst I am no expert I can offer this. I've got an Axxis 267 (93 litres) and a BIC Techno 283 (150 litres). I'd been sailing wave boards and slalom boards all my life but my gybes where just not improving. So I got the Techno and just sailed it for months and really focused on my gybes reading everything I could about the right technique. Last time I sailed the Techno was at Lake Cootharaba I was getting about 90 % of my gybes , and this was with my 8.4 metre race sail in gusty and overpowering conditions .

I then got back on my Axxis and I have to say at 1st I was bloody hopeless , but after about 6 sessions I am starting to get my % up and almost planing out of the gybes. So hopefully I'll start nailing them next summer when we get some wind. At least now when I stuff it up I usually know what I did wrong.

So I guess what I am really saying is that a big volume and a wide board will give you some extra margin for error and let you practice your technique. But thats just me.........

Size and shape of fin are also really important. A big straight fin will be difficult to turn. Ideal board is floaty, rounded rails, footstraps not too far on the edge, sail less than 6.5m (without cams if possible)and a smallish fin.

Combine that with steady wind and flat water!