Jibing a keelboat downwind tutorial video?

[jasonsansfleece]

Does anyone know of a video, preferably online, showing the process of jibing a keelboat down wind?
We are sailing an Etchells, a crew of four and of varying degrees of experience and familiarity with the boat.
If we could each watch the video at home and refer back to it as we were practicing, like a textbook, I think it would be a great help.
I don’t think it would have to be Etchells specific,

 

[FlyingCircus2]

The key is remembering that you can hang dead downwind for a lot longer than you expect. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.

With a symmetrical kite, your bow and pit guys will have to gybe the pole in a way that's specific to etchells, but probably includes lots of grunting and swearing.

While they are doing that, one guy flies the kite with both sheets. Your job on the helm is to keep the boat going straight until you hear "made" from the bow, and only then turn the boat the rest of the way.

It can help to bring the main in by hand I'm a chicken gybe, too. It doesn't cost much. We should probably call a regular gybe a retard jybe!

 

[Somebody Else]

On an Etchells:

1. Loosen the foreguy 1 foot (so the mast crew can get it back on the mast.)
2. As the helm steers the boat DDW, the mast person takes the inboard end of the pole off the mast as the middle crew flies the sheet and guy, keeping the spi in trim.
3. As the boat sails through DDW, the mast crew frees the old guy from the jaws. Then the old sheet (soon to be the new guy) is placed into the pole jaw that was just disconnected from the mast and the helm jibes the main.
4. The mast crew attaches the inboard pole end to the mast. They need to remember to shove the outboard end of the pole foreward, against the spi tack. The middle crew needs to be hyper-aware of the mast crew's progress with getting the pole back on the mast. If the middle crew trims the guy too tight, they can make it nigh on impoosible to get the pole back on the mast.
5. Once the pole is on the mast, the mast crew comes back into the cockpit and snugs up the foreguy, then takes the afterguy from the middle crew and everyone is back to their proper positions.

Tip one: If it's breezy, the mast crew may struggle a bit. I found the best position is to form a tripod with two feet spread in front of the mast and the back snug against the front of the mast. This gives you the stability and strength to get that pole in the ring.

Tip two: Make sure the jib sheet is ready to tack as soon as the pole is dropped at the leeward mark. As the mast crew steps onto the foredeck, place the sheet into the crook of your elbow so it's ready to be lead correctly over the top of the pole, in front of the lift.

 

[Jethrow]

Don't do this...

 

[Steam Flyer]

Don't do this...

Fuckin' classic!

 

[Steam Flyer]

On an Etchells:

1. Loosen the foreguy 1 foot (so the mast crew can get it back on the mast.)
2. As the helm steers the boat DDW, the mast person takes the inboard end of the pole off the mast as the middle crew flies the sheet and guy, keeping the spi in trim.
3. As the boat sails through DDW, the mast crew frees the old guy from the jaws. Then the old sheet (soon to be the new guy) is placed into the pole jaw that was just disconnected from the mast and the helm jibes the main.
4. The mast crew attaches the inboard pole end to the mast. They need to remember to shove the outboard end of the pole foreward, against the spi tack. The middle crew needs to be hyper-aware of the mast crew's progress with getting the pole back on the mast. If the middle crew trims the guy too tight, they can make it nigh on impoosible to get the pole back on the mast.
5. Once the pole is on the mast, the mast crew comes back into the cockpit and snugs up the foreguy, then takes the afterguy from the middle crew and everyone is back to their proper positions.

Tip one: If it's breezy, the mast crew may struggle a bit. I found the best position is to form a tripod with two feet spread in front of the mast and the back snug against the front of the mast. This gives you the stability and strength to get that pole in the ring.

Tip two: Make sure the jib sheet is ready to tack as soon as the pole is dropped at the leeward mark. As the mast crew steps onto the foredeck, place the sheet into the crook of your elbow so it's ready to be lead correctly over the top of the pole, in front of the lift.

DING DING DING... some added notes...
The order in which the bowman handles the pole is critical. When the boat turns DDW, he takes pole off the mast (a quick ease on the guy helps take pressure off) -but- the pole stays clipped on to the old guy. He now has to reach out and capture the new guy / old sheet with one hand to get ready to clip onto the pole. If the middle man can pull on the twing, or run the sheet in hand up to him, that helps a lot.

Do not let the spinnaker fly free on both clews any time there is more than a light wind and flat seas. That fucker is just waiting for a chance to make fools of you all.

Now, bowman clips on the new guy and releases the old guy. At this point the main can come over, but it's better to wait and time it with the bowman's movement so the boat doesn't suddenly fling him into the beyond. The spinnaker trimmer has brought the old guy / new sheet back in, and is watching as the bowman pushes the pole out and forward. Again, a quick ease on the new guy helps here, but get the sail back into trimmed position quickly once the pole is "made."

I think that easing the vang helps a bit but it's one more thing to remember. Don't leave the vang loose when running deep or DDW.

The spinnaker trimmer has to ease the guy in order to help the bow man get the pole off, then back on, the mast.

 

[Marty Gingras]

Does anyone know of a video, preferably online, showing the process of jibing a keelboat down wind?

Done that many times on a Shields using a friction wrap of shock cord to hold the tiller.

 

[3to1]

On an Etchells:

1. Loosen the foreguy 1 foot (so the mast crew can get it back on the mast.)
2. As the helm steers the boat DDW, the mast person takes the inboard end of the pole off the mast as the middle crew flies the sheet and guy, keeping the spi in trim.
3. As the boat sails through DDW, the mast crew frees the old guy from the jaws. Then the old sheet (soon to be the new guy) is placed into the pole jaw that was just disconnected from the mast and the helm jibes the main.
4. The mast crew attaches the inboard pole end to the mast. They need to remember to shove the outboard end of the pole foreward, against the spi tack. The middle crew needs to be hyper-aware of the mast crew's progress with getting the pole back on the mast. If the middle crew trims the guy too tight, they can make it nigh on impoosible to get the pole back on the mast.
5. Once the pole is on the mast, the mast crew comes back into the cockpit and snugs up the foreguy, then takes the afterguy from the middle crew and everyone is back to their proper positions.

Tip one: If it's breezy, the mast crew may struggle a bit. I found the best position is to form a tripod with two feet spread in front of the mast and the back snug against the front of the mast. This gives you the stability and strength to get that pole in the ring.

Tip two: Make sure the jib sheet is ready to tack as soon as the pole is dropped at the leeward mark. As the mast crew steps onto the foredeck, place the sheet into the crook of your elbow so it's ready to be lead correctly over the top of the pole, in front of the lift.

yeah, trimmer needs to keep new guy eased 6+ inches until pole is remade on mast to provide the new tack with some freedom of movement so bowman doesn't have to wrestle with the pole. especially in medium-heavy breeze.

put the smart guys on sheet trim.

 

[duncan (the other one)]

In light airs - like these guys


like - do you utube?

 

[jasonsansfleece]

Thanks for the replies, your descriptions, everyone.
The guys in the etchells video are doing a great job, we’ll aspire to that and practice!

 

[Presuming Ed]

Practice is key. 4 makes life easy. Helm, main, kite trim & foredeck.
Get out there and just roll into 20 gibes.

 

[Steam Flyer]

Thanks, Duncan, excellent vid... shows clearly how they bring the boat slightly by the lee, and roll it to bring the spinnaker way out... easy to unclip pole from mast and keep spinnaker full at the same time.

 

[jasonsansfleece]

Yes, that video is inspirational. They’re sailing it like a laser (sort of)
Somebody mentioned tying the boat by the stern to a mooring, and then flying the spinnaker, practicing. Do you think that would work or should we stay away from a potential snarl up?

 

[Steam Flyer]

Yes, that video is inspirational. They’re sailing it like a laser (sort of)
Somebody mentioned tying the boat by the stern to a mooring, and then flying the spinnaker, practicing. Do you think that would work or should we stay away from a potential snarl up?

When I was drilling a crew on spinnaker handling on a small keelboat, we used to go out on windless days and motor backwards. Worked very well!

 

[Brass]

Get this into everybody's head:

A gybe is a manoeuvre changing tacks from square downwind on one tack to square downwind on the other tack.

If you start from anything other than square downwind, the first thing you do is bear away to square downwind.

Then you gybe [to square downwind on the other tack].

Then you heat up to your desired course on the new tack.

Three separate moves.

Once you can do each separate move neatly and reliably, then you can start joining them up into a smooth and polished sequence.

But it's still three separate things.

 

[Remodel]

Where is Keeldragger when you need him.

Fly the cloth!

 

[Remodel]

Yes, that video is inspirational. They’re sailing it like a laser (sort of)
Somebody mentioned tying the boat by the stern to a mooring, and then flying the spinnaker, practicing. Do you think that would work or should we stay away from a potential snarl up?

Not a good idea. Tried that once on a J24. It wasn't pretty.

Go on out and practice. Take it slow and build confidence. Also spend some time free flying the kite with no pole. This will let your trimmer get used to keeping the chute full during jibes.

Plus it's a good skill to have. I raced on a Beneteau 456 back in the mid eighties. On one offshore race, we blew the bell fitting off the mast and couldn't attach the pole. It was a 30 mile leg downwind to the finish and we sailed the last 25 without a pole.

 

[Kenny Dumas]

Tying off to a hard point is a great idea until you do it. A paraglider tethered himself to a post to practice launching. This was also a great idea. His launch was great, kite fills and accelerated up until it luffs and collapses, dropping him on the ground from 20’ up, the length of his tether. Kite drops and fills, lifting him up until the kite luffs again, repeat, repeat etc. Who’d of thunk it?

 

[Sisyphus]

DING DING DING... some added notes...
The order in which the bowman handles the pole is critical. When the boat turns DDW, he takes pole off the mast (a quick ease on the guy helps take pressure off) -but- the pole stays clipped on to the old guy. He now has to reach out and capture the new guy / old sheet with one hand to get ready to clip onto the pole. If the middle man can pull on the twing, or run the sheet in hand up to him, that helps a lot.

This part. The bow person should not be “fishing” for the new guy with the end of the pole. Once the pole is off the mast they need to control the pole with one arm and reach out and grab the new guy and bring it to the jaws with other.

Once the new guy is in (and the old guy released), bow person can begin walking pole out until they can lock the other jaws on the mast. Push the pole more forward than out to the beam, otherwise the bow person is fighting all the force of the guy (loading it up like a bow string$.

The driver, trimmer, and any other idiots in the back of the boat (collectively, “the idiots”) tend to forget that the bow person is working on a narrow, often wet, platform where boat motion is amplified, while working with potentially highly loaded lines and hard metal tubes. Even on a small keelboat there is a lot going on up there. The idiots need to have lots of patience. Once the pole is tripped, the idiots have to time everything and control the lines based on the bow person, and while the bow person is learning, it can take a while to get everything squared away.

After some practice it becomes pretty smooth. But it can all go to shit in a race if the trimmer or driver get distracted focusing on other boats or the mark and forget to do what they are supposed to do. The bow person is never wrong.

 

[Steam Flyer]

THE BOW PERSON IS NEVER WRONG