WindHut Tuition Corner
Rider - Bob Hoekstra
Tips - Buzz
Overview. The duck gybe is a carving downwind turn where you duck the sail to be in position on the new reach.
- Sailing accross the wind at speed prepare by bearing away to gain speed this will make the sail feel lighter
- Unhook from your harness and settle your board by lowering your body over the center of your board on bent knees and pulling down with your mast arm (elbow pointing down). Take a wide grip by moving your back hand towards the back of the boom
- Take your back foot from the footstrap and place it between the foot straps on the inside rail make sure your board is settled
- As you start the carve start the sail shift by using your back hand to move the boom forward slightly (this helps stop you from leaning back to avoid the foot of the sail) while passing your mast hand over your sail hand to take hold of the boom at the clew end on the same side
- Pull the sail accross your body and throw it away from you by pulling back hard (pull hard or you will have to lean too far into the turn and it won’t work) as it clears your shoulder (Duck a little to avoid the foot of the sail)
- keep the board carving or you will be left standing with a sail for a flag
- Lean forward and into the turn reaching with your new mast hand to take the boom as close to the normal mast hand sailing position as you can
- As you come around onto the new reach place your back hand on the boom and sheet in (If you ducked early you may still be quite broad so don’t sheet in too hard or you will get overpowered and pulled over the front)
- At the end of the move change your front foot to the front footstrap on the same side, shuffle the back foot into the back strap and sail away
Tips from “Buzz”
