Feb 5 - Jibing tips, speedsailing practice video

3329km

Bonaire Lac Bay. NP EVO5 7.8, iSonic 107, Drake carbon slalom 38. Wind: 15G18 E knots.

Little-by-Little: New 2 Sec PB for the EVO5 7.8 by 0.6 knots - caught a nice gust . Also a new PB for 5x10 by 0.1 knot. Both previous PBs were set three days ago ...

Making some minor improvements on jibing. Tide is really low now when I'm sailing so don't get to run very far into the smooth water of the mangrove area. Late this afternoon decided to buck up and jibe immediately after exiting the bigger chop - that worked. Next step is to jibe IN the bigger chop .

Biffed a jibe on the southerly run and decided it was time to truly find out if I could clear a race sail with a fully loaded luff sleeve in water too deep to touch the bottom. Let the sail fill with water. Initially the camber was popped downward and I quickly decided that needed to be corrected. Once the camber was popped upwards I swam the mast tip into the wind and slowly started lifting it out ouf the water. This took a little time but soon the sail was clear of the water and easy to waterstart. So, the technique worked great in Lac Bay in relatively calm water. Out in the choppy area it would be more of a hassle but doable. Doing this in the Gorge? I'll probably hyperventilate the first time I would try it. Fortunately, for now, I have no race sails in the USA... but I may need to get a 5.8 or 6.4 Race which seemed to be the sail Roo used a lot last summer... Sail recommendations?

Roo commented:

Thats better, getting to grips with the race monster and taming it. 6.4 is a sweet size, the NP EVO 6 set up for RDM works a treat. I would look for something that rigs on a skinny. Should be able to find you something when you get back in town. Me thinks you are starting to get serious about going faster!

I commented:

I'm afraid this 'speed' thing is a disease . I think I am cured and then I get back on the water and the first thing I try to do is 'put the hammer down'. One of my Canadian friends down here that windsurfs (a year younger than me) keeps looking at me like I'm crazy and says I'm going to hurt myself. He could be correct on both accounts, that is why I opt for as much protective gear as possible .

I posted one of the sailing video segments to YouTube and my wife saw it today ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nEgnc6fNfs ) (she hasn't felt well enough to go to the bay with me so hasn't seen the race sails). Her first comment was that I needed to get more colorful race sails. We did a quick web search. She approved of Gaastra and the new NP EVO 9 and thought the Sailworks colors would also be acceptable . How is that for focusing on the fundamental requirements of the equipment?!

Peter commented:

Nice numbers and great video, Barton! You're looking fast!

I'm working on improving my jibes on slalom gear, too. One thing I noticed in pro videos is that their timing: they step forward at the same time as the clew goes forward. Matt Pritchard once told me "imagine a line between the clew and your foot - the clew goes, your foot goes". In your first jibe in the video, you are stepping a bit late, when the mast is already back. That puts all the weight in the back. You can see that this sinks the tail, which kills speed. Try stepping as you open up the clew.

I commented:

Peter, thanks for the tip from Matt Pritchard - makes sense and when the jibe works (like the second jibe you can barely see), the timing was much closer to Matt's tip. 

I have to admit that on the first jibe I was 'coasting' a little bit as I had already 'outsailed' the wind and was in the ever-present wind shadow in that area if I sail too far.

My goal is the laydown jibe, which I am a long ways from hitting. There are enough good sailors here on slalom gear that every day I get to see how a laydown should be done. At the end of the video there is a young Bonairian fellow (maybe 15 yo) on a NP EVO5 5.6 sail - he does amazing laydowns...

On the positive side, on the second jibe in the video, at least the mast was partially layed down .

Thanks again.

Peter commented:

Barton, laydown jibes are very cool, but like duck jibes, they belong more into the trick category. One could argue that the duck jibe is easier to plane through, but you almost never see it in slalom competition - even the Bonaire guys rarely do it :-). The same is true for the laydown jibe (mast almost parallel to the water). I have heard it was functional or even necessary on old gear (like 1990s), but you'll rarely see it with modern gear in competition.

I don't mean you should not learn it - it is a very cool move. Working on it can also help to get the mast more into the turn; jibe learners and improvers tend to keep the mast too vertical. For illustration, here's an image of a jibe by Phil McGain at the Maui slalom races a few years ago:

For comparison, a laydown jibe by Peter Volwater (not in competition):

Roo commented:

Your jibing problems have nothing to do with your feet, your hands are the problem. Two moves will sort them out and have you blazing out of every one. Will tell you when you get back. You should be able to switch you feet at different times depending on the conditions and water state. I think I would take my advice from someone who can rip out alphas above 26 knots! The laydown will come when you get your hands correct.

Roo commented:

The laydown is a funtion of speed, the faster you go the more the sail lays down to be able to do a tight turn. For wide arcs don't lay the sail down as much. The beauty of a laydown is it depowers the sail and engages more rail to allow a tighter turn at high speed. It also loads the rail so it doesn't bounce out in chop. It stronger winds and nasty water the laydown is invaluable for maintaining control and turning quickly.

I commented:

Thanks Peter and Roo for your interest in helping me improve.

Roo, your second comment about laydown and speed resonates well with me. At the end of the southerly runs when I'm in a wind shadow and slowing down, attempting a laydown feels very uncomfortable. OTOH, in the mangrove shallows where I'm entering the jibe at 25 to 28 knots, attempting to lay the sail down feels very comfortable (and even necessary). Your further comments on the laydown are exactly why I thought it would be good to learn as I consider most of the Gorge to fall into the 'stronger winds and nasty water' category .

I'll going to send you an email as I have the 'sail itch' and want your opinions - Thanks.

Roo commented:

Happy to help mate. Once you master the laydown the duck jibe is easy. The first half of the turn is just the same. The key to a good jibe, laydown or duck, is speed; the slower sailors tend to have trouble doing them.

Peter commented:

As I said, nothing wrong with learning the laydown jibe. Maybe Roo knows better why the Pros are not doing them. Check, for example, the PWA final from Fuerteventura last year - https://youtu.be/gyoe4Uxlqfo. At 40 seconds and 2 minutes, you get a pretty good perspective. The most common mast angle in about 45 degrees. They had about 30 knots and quite a bit of chop. They also typically reach top speeds of 35+ knots in races. But their objective is maximum speed with control through the jibe; if your objective is tighter turns, laying down the sail more may be the way to go.

If you find yourself in a jibe where the mast is closer to 45 than 90 degrees (let's call it a "slalom jibe" to differentiate it from the laydown) in chop, there are a couple of things that will help to reduce bounce. One is to make sure that the mast goes forward and into the turn, not just to the side. The other is to conciously increase mast foot pressure by hanging or pushing down with the front arm. The downward pointing elbows in the pictures above are an indication that Phil and Peter are doing just that. Try it out, I find the effect quite remarkable.

I commented:

Wow, all sorts of help today, and Roo just changed his avatar!

Thanks Roo. Way back in 1997 we had a vacation trip to Aruba where I actually became proficient at duck jibes (in flat water). Never seemed to have quite the same success in the Gorge - probably was too slow in the Gorge chop... At the time, I envied the guys doing duck jibes in the Gorge as they looked so smooth, quick and easy. 

Peter, I have wondered about the 'slalom jibe' as in the PWA videos, but also pro practice sessions on Bonaire, they are not going full laydown. On the other hand, when they are not 'practice racing' on Bonaire the laydown becomes much more evident, maybe because it is more stylish and extreme for the tourists on the beach .

My objective for the laydown is survival . Actually it is tight turns so I can complete the jibe on the face/trough of a single wave, be in control and not be bouncing all over the place. 

Roo commented:

When you are doing downwind slalom at high speed tight jibes aren't required as you have lots of room, once the course is tighter in choppy nastier conditions they come into play. In the video you can see the huge wide arc they take. On wider boards and sails that is what works in PWA racing. In other videos you'll see a lot of pros lay the sail down for a second or two to engage the rail then stand it back up to finish the turn. A good sailor uses the right manouvre for the conditions. Here's a good example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JlKei3UcHw from 1:58 to 2:03 you can see them use a variety of jibes at the same mark. You need to master all the different variations to be able to use the best one at the most appropriate time. Lots of variation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cIfarz8Amw

I commented:

Roo, the TWS video is GREAT. Interestingly, they made a point of bending the knees/getting low just after unhooking from the harness. I don't recall that being stressed in the other videos. When I jibe in the mangrove shallows, I found I absolutely had to do this to maintain control and had been wondering if it was something I should be doing...  I'll be a happy sailor when I master this jibe . Thanks!

Peter commented:

Dasher emphasizes bending the knees in his 12-step jibe video: "The more you bend your ankles and knees, the more jibe foregiveness you shall receive". Once you hear him say that on the video, it's hard to forget...

In Alan Cadiz' jibe video (it's a bit older, but apparently still sold at http://hstwindsurfing.com/jibing-with-alan-cadiz/), he shows a lot of jibe variations. He says something like "first learn to sheet in, then oversheet, then laydown". I sure agree with Roo that learning different jibe variations is a worthwhile undertaking - it's fun and gives you more options. You might find the "slalom" jibe a bit easier to start with, especially in typical Bonaire conditions with big sails. But there's nothing wrong with playing around with different variations right away - learning is not always a linear path. My jibes always get better after ABK camps, when I work on 360s, push tacks, and similar stuff, but not on jibes.

Roo commented:
Wow this thread took off! Best thing is to get someone to video you then analyse what you are doing. It's hard to improve if you don't know what you are doing wrong. Break the jibe down into segments then perfect each before stringing them all together. Once you have it mastered find the nastiest bit of chop and jibe in that, if you can still do what you have practiced in a worse case scenario then you have owned the manouvre. Jibing and speed are my favorite parts of the sport, the satisfaction coming into a turn hot, laying down the sail and ripping a perfect jibe then blasting away is an incredible feeling that few get to experience, especially when you are overpowered and in nasty water!

I commented:

Peter, thanks for the help. I guess, by default, I've been creeping up on the 'slalom' jibe. Soon, I hope to blast past the slalom and on to the laydown .

Roo, your last comment is perfect coaching, thanks! 

I completely agree on what makes this sport satisfying. I still remember and savour the days twenty years ago of sailing the river mouth in Florence Oregon, when I had jibes nailed on my Hi-Tech 8'4", sailing in 25 knot winds on a 4.5 on an outgoing tide with nice swells, doing bump and jump across the river followed by a good jibe -SWEET . My goal is to recreate some of that experience with speed sailing and then maybe some Gorge bump and jump. Thanks again for the guidance and help.

Eddy Patricelli (Big Winds) commented:
Wow, Barton. This is great stuff. Love the blog. And your stance looks great on video. The jibes are good too - especially the aggressive one displayed on the run back out. 

If I were to put on my instructor cap, I'd recommend switching your feet sooner in the jibes. Pivot and step sooner -- staying down. It's tough to do, largely because the sensation of carving feels so good you don't want to disrupt it. But my $.02 on planing out of jibes consistently, with lightening fast, easy, magical, non-taxing sail flips, requires the foot switch to come early. Initiate the carve, get low, and as you approach dead downwind, pivot and step staying low.

For the pivot and step, it helps me to pretend as if I'm taking my front foot's heel and stepping on my back foot's big toe. For a split second, it resembles a ballet plie. Doing so ensures your weight stays on the carving rail as your feet switch. 

Done well, the jibe ends on a broad reach on the new tack and - this is important - at full speed. It's that full speed part that makes the sail flips easy. You're running with the wind, often matching or exceeding its speed. The sail rotates easily in this dynamic. No more awkward sail flips that require recovering and muscling that depletes energy. You grab it, drop down -- hanging down on the boom as the battens rotate, and shazam! You move for the straps with energy to spare and yeah, put into your next PR!