Chinese gybe
Sailing coach Pip Hare gives her expert advice on how to avoid a Chinese gybe
This type of accidental gybe is caused by the boat heeling excessively to windward. The centre of effort of the spinnaker also moves to windward, accentuating the angle of heel.
How to avoid a Chinese gybe
Above: the boat starts to heel
As this happens, the boat starts to turn on her longer windward waterline edge and bear away on her own. As the boat heels, the surface area of the rudder receives less water so steering is less efficient and you lose control, with the boat usually ending up flat on her windward side with the spinnaker pole in the water and the boom in the air.
Inevitably, the point arrives when the force of the wind on the mainsail is no longer able to support the weight of the boom, now up in the air, and it comes crashing down.
Here’s our video showing the whole process, which is detailed in full below.
What to do with the spinnaker
Your spinnaker is the biggest and most powerful sail on the boat; so you need to be the boss, depower it early and stop it from wandering around and excessively heeling the boat.
Having the centre of effort of the spinnaker outside the footprint of the boat, giving windward heel, is not always a bad thing; but when the breeze gets up and the boat starts to roll, then it’s time to depower.
Start by gently easing the pole forward and at the same time sheeting on. This …read more
