Return to Content list

31. Gybing the Finn
by Robert Deaves

Gybing the Finn is one of those manoeuvres that requires much practice but is easy to improve with practice. However it is essential to 'visualise' what you are trying to achieve during the gybe - where you should be in the boat and what you should be doing at all times into the gybe, during the gybe and out of the gybe. How you go into the gybe and how you come out of the gybe is probably more important than actually doing the gybe as this is where the mistakes are more frequently made. There are many techniques for gybing the Finn. Pick one that you can get along with and perform confidently in all conditions.

Boat Set-up
A number of aspects apply to all methods of gybing. The idea is to perform the gybe without losing any boat speed, doing it smoothly and with the minimum of fuss. To allow adequate space underneath the boom the kicker should be slackened a touch.

In strong winds this is essential, as is sheeting in the boom slightly so that the leech does not extend forward of the mast. If it does then the resulting force will try to roll the boat into windward. A tighter kicker (and hence a tighter leach) will give you more acceleration out of the gybe, but has the disadvantage of a lower boom. A looser kicker will provide a safer gybe but with less speed out the other side because of the loss of power in the now open leech. With the centreboard, a compromise has to be reached between having too much down so that the boat may trip over itself and having so little showing that the boat skids sideways, possibly rolling you in in the process if you are not quick enough to respond on the helm. The experts generally tend to have the centreboard all the way up in all conditions. In general, to be safe, set its position such that the corner on the aft face of the board is just showing out of the case. This gives an extension of about ten inches below the hull. The mainsheet system should be free flowing and must not catch on any fittings or jam up in its own blocks.



When to Gybe
There is only really one moment to gybe, if you have the luxury of time. Gybe when the boat is going fastest down the biggest wave that you can find. This will ensure that there is hardly any pressure on the sail and it will be easier to haul over. Also when the boom extends out to the new leeward side there will be very little force on it (providing you are still moving down the wave that is), and the boat will therefore be much easier to control while you sort out your position in the boat. On the larger waves you may find that the boom is reluctant to actually take up position and the sail flaps along the centreline. This happens because you are moving faster down the wave than the wind is blowing. Watch out for when you slow down and make sure the boom is hovering on the side of the boat that you want it to end up on.
Steering
Steering is a very important part of the gybe.In strong winds how you steer into and out of the gybe can determine how successful it is - i.e. if you capsize or not. You must steer positively (and occasionally aggressively in strong winds) through the gybe. Don't hesitate or back out - this will invariably cause a capsize in windy weather or a significant loss of speed in light airs. Sometimes it can pay to steer a 's' shape into and out of the gybe when on a run. Bear away hard into the gybe, swing round through the gybe and bear away again to resume your original course.

Ways to Gybe
There are two principle ways to gybe a Finn. In one method you are facing the boom as it passes through the wind, and in the other method you have your back to the boom. The method you choose to gybe can be changed depending on the situation you are in, although it is far better to stick to one method and excel at that. However you may have to change technique occasionally, for example in extreme windy weather or when crash gybing to avoid another boat or an obstruction.



Gybing Facing the Boom
If you are sheeting through the block on the floor (and not direct from the boom) then when gybing grab hold of at least one, if not all, of the mainsheet purchases to pull the boom over. Don't try to gybe by giving the sheet a sharp tug through the floor block (except in survival conditions). Because of the length of the boom it can take a long time to react to your pull and come across too slowly- taking it straight from the boom produces a more positive action which is more reliable. In lighter winds, when gybing from a reach to a reach, the boat can be rolled to windward going into the gybe, thus making the boom fall down. Once the boom has passed through the wind, roll the boat the other way, to the new windward side. As the wind increases you will need to keep the boat flat at all times. Only try to pull the boom across the boat once you have steered round so that the wind is blowing onto your lee quarter. The technique is therefore:

1. Sheet in, ease the kicker and point the tiller extension towards the new windward (old leeward) side. Then bear away until the wind is off the lee quarter.


Hold the sheet directly from the boom, give it a positive tug, and pull it as far across the boat as your reach permits.

2. As soon as the boom passes overhead move your aft foot across the boat, with your body facing forwards. The tiller extension is now being held behind your back. Steer the opposite way out of the gybe to the way the boat is trying to go - you will then follow a straight course. If the boat is trying to spin into the wind (more usual), then you must bear away hard to counteract it.

3. Move your forward foot over, swivel your body and then sit on the sidedeck. Drop the tiller extension (or sit on it), change hands on sheet and pick up the tiller extension again. (In light airs the change can be made while standing up after the gybe.) Finally, tension the kicker again, let the sheet out and adjust your course.

The main advantage of this method is that you can see the boom coming and can time your movements and actions much more precisely.

Not Facing the Boom This method is very different from that just described. First of all you change hands on the sheet and the tiller extension before the gybe is commenced. This means that as you come out of the gybe you are ready to start sailing properly immediately and have little sorting out to do. As a result your speed out of the gybe can be faster. Kicker and sheet adjustments are the same as above.

1.Holding the sheet straight from the boom, bring your tiller hand across to grab it and then turn your back to the boom and pick up the tiller extension from behind your back. Keep the tiller extension pointing at the current windward side.

2.Bear away into the gybe and then pull the sheet hard and duck down so that the boom passes over your head and across the boat.

3.Flip the tiller extension to the new windward side as soon as the boom has passed overhead. Then move backwards onto the new sidedeck, sit down and assume the correct course.

As soon as the boom has passed overhead you have effectively completed the manoeuvre. All you then have to do is sit down and carry on sailing. This gybe has often been dubbed 'the experts gybe' in that it can look cleaner and done properly can produce a better result. However it is much more difficult to get right and can cause problems in windy weather because the boat has to be kept dead level throughout, while you are facing the wrong way and unable to sit on the sidedeck. It is also much easier to make a mistake and harder to recover from one because your hands are effectively crossed.

In training always visualise the technique you are going to practice - practice in your mind before you do it on the water. However you end up gybing though, one thing cannot be disputed: practice makes perfect!

Return to Content list