Hello,
I'm practicing flying gybes. Last 3-4 sessions I've noticed that if I have my back foot a little more back then the board turns faster. I'm attaching 2 pictures showing where I had my back foot before and where I've started to have it now. Another thing, I saw several videos where they suggest having the weight forward when gybe, I've tried it but then the nose of the board goes down towards the water. Shouldn't I have the weight back instead so I can fly through the whole gybe????
You're asking the right questions
Each jibe is different though, and the faster you are going, the more you'll have to lean forward to stay in the water.
I shuffle my feet a lot vs take big steps and it makes a difference when trimming to stay flying. When my old front foot moves out of the strap and backward, while my new front isn't in until new front strap, it is touchy but I have more lift because my weight is aft. If I step too far back I have to lean forward. But my effort has been on continuing the carve until I can start adding power. Sometimes I'm in the new front when I flip, sometimes I miss and stay flying somehow out of both straps, flip, and find the front strap.
Your feel will improve and you'll be able to trim faster and jibe without touching as long as you keep concentrating on that carve and controlling your altitude. It's not a static thing unless you are a pro with thousands of jibes in easy flat conditions.
If you struggle getting your back foot any further back while mid-jibe either bacause it's awkward or there's no room, consider a) moving your mast base front back a couple of cm b) add 1/4 to 1/2 degree of shim or c) moving front straps back a hole..
Your percentage of flying jibes will increase significantly when the board is trimmed to fly level mid-jibe. This is one of the reasons many of us trim for more front foot pressure (it also helps with going upwind). Especially in windy conditions, you want to be over the board with the front hand extended away from you for control. Watch some racers/skilled riders on youtube and note their front arm and body position. Even if you aren't racing, it promotes a more stable position and a nice, consistent carve at speed.
Lastly, a board that flies level during the jibe is much more fault tolerant whether it's getting the new front foot into the strap, dealing with a backwinded sail at low speed or dealing with swell.
Good luck! Sounds like you are at the edge of success.
There are many different ways to complete the gybe.
On my smaller boards (140 litres and less) this is my favoured technique.
Make sure you are going fairly fast into the gybe, you will lose a lot of speed so you need to enter fairly quickly. At the moment of un hooking you will lose a lot of mast foot pressure, push down on the boom and shift your weight onto your front foot. As you continue through the gybe slowly move your weight backwards as you lose speed. The sail will flip when it's ready. I don't bother moving my feet to the new position until I am fully through the turn.
It took me years to be able to do it without any touchdowns. I eventually realised that I was sailing very back foot heavy.
I adjusted my foil set up to fix this.
I move my back foot to your 'before' position. Once you learn to sail with your feet close together, the effect of lifting one foot up to move to a new location doesn't affect the boards balance as much.
Om my 175 litre raceboard, I adopt the foot shuffling technique. similar to aeroegnr.
I move feet early. Using the clock face analogy, if you start at 6, to initiate the turn I step across with my back foot and sheet in my back hand ( this helps maintain speed), I switch feet at 2, let go back hand at 1 and steer with my back foot to head towards 9 to catch the boom, then get settled in this direction before moving to 6.
Thank you for all tips.
Here one of my jibe with touch down.
Light wind session.
Best training tips
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrHB6IE31HOsooGGme1-dUCawbXCrgySq
Select to expand quoteVentomax said..
Thank you for all tips.
Here one of my jibe with touch down.
Light wind session.
?si=Y7mYqoswCoozWTKg
Ventomax see above tips if you didn't already. try going faster!
