# Gybing spinnaker on J24



## Slayer (Jul 28, 2006)

Any tips for trimming the spinnaker through a gybe to keep it flying? I have been sort of winging it. I make sure there is enough slack on the new guy so the foredeck can set the pole, and I trim in the new sheet. I do ok, but the spin still collapses some times. So can someone walk me through it or offer some tips?


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Full crew? Or short handed?

Double handed we always square up and gybe from close to DDW. Ease the sheet till the kite is under trimmed but still flying. That way when you swap the pole across the pole isn't over square on the new gybe. Works for us, anyhow. 

We punch in a 20 deg course change on the AP, I do the pole and my wife gibes the main and handles the downhaul. If the sheet and guy are properly preset they don't need to be touched until I'm back in the cockpit.


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## Stumble (Feb 2, 2012)

It's a rhythm thing. You need three things to pretty much happen at the same time. 
1) the spin (as it's released from the pole) shifts to the center at the same time
2) the main crosses the center at the same time
3) the transom crosses the center of the wind

Often it's the main that is lagging behind the other two. 

So in an ideal world, the wind is blowing at 180awa just as the main hits the boats centerline and the center of the spin is on the centerline. This minimizes the wind shadow that the spin suffers from.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

... and bad gybes can often be traced back to an impatient helmsperson. A smooth turn in sync with the crew works wonders.

Since the person at the back of the boat has the best view of what's going on, making the course change in tune with what's happening up front will work better than hoping the crew is in sync with the helm..


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## Stumble (Feb 2, 2012)

Faster said:


> ... and bad gybes can often be traced back to an impatient helmsperson. A smooth turn in sync with the crew works wonders.
> 
> Since the person at the back of the boat has the best view of what's going on, making the course change in tune with what's happening up front will work better than hoping the crew is in sync with the helm..


I actually blame the main trimmer most of the time. At least so long as the mast guy doesn't mess up disconnecting the pole a collapsing spin I see normallythe fault of a main trimmer getting it over too slow.

But then I drive, so....


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## sailingfool (Apr 17, 2000)

To me the most critical issue is that the crew trimming the spinnaker keep it square to the wind direction through out the jibe, otherwise it will tend to collapse regardless of what else is or is not happening.

When the spinnaker is off the pole it's angle to the wind is more difficult to eyeball so I try to have one person coordinate the simultaneous adjusting of both lines. In a J24 one person can handle both the sheet and guy alone, one in each hand, focused on keeping the sail square.


The trick is to rotate the spinnaker the opposite direction of the jibe, so the sail in effect keeps a constant, correct angle to the wind as the boat turns beneath it.


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## Stumble (Feb 2, 2012)

sailingfool said:


> To me the most critical issue us that the crew trimming the spinnaker kept it square to the wind direction through out the jibe, otherwise it will tend to collapse regardless of what else us or is not happening.
> 
> When the spinnaker is off the pole it's angle to the wind is more difficult to eyeball so I try to have one person coordinate the simultaneous adjusting of both lines. In a J24 one person can handle both the sheet and guy alone, one in each hand, focused on keeping the sail square.


Wait, you don't have yarn on your shrouds to make seeing the wind easy? Eye-guessing is really hard, wind indicators all over the boat are far easier.


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## sailingfool (Apr 17, 2000)

Stumble said:


> Wait, you don't have yarn on your shrouds to make seeing the wind easy? Eye-guessing is really hard, wind indicators all over the boat are far easier.


Knowing the wind direction is not the challenge, it's judging the squareness to that wind of a line between of the tack and clew of the spinnaker without a pole as a reference.


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## darc (Nov 1, 2016)

Keys to learning how to gybe:
Helmsman learns to sail spin without pole, practice just that to start. Getting real good sailing wing on wing sailed with a jib to where you don't even think about it helps . 
Once you have that person, practice gybing the pole same way every time. Sheet in hand up to the mast release from mast, clip in new gye releasing the old while securing the new end on the mast and shouting MADE!
But most important a trimer that knows not to do a damn thing through the gybe until he hears the word MADE! and knows why...


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## 14432 (Oct 24, 2006)

I find twing lines to be very helpful during jibes


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## jann (May 22, 2010)

A good way to practice on a j24, if the wind isn't too heavy, is for the skipper to hold the sheet and brace in each hand, and steer the boat through the gybe with the tiller between his knees, floating the kite all the way. Crew persons handle the pole and mainsheet, and the trick is to go slowly.

Sounds silly, but a sailing instructor I used to race with taught spinnaker handling just this way in his j24.


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## zz4gta (Aug 15, 2007)

Ease the twings or ease the sheet and guy 3-4 inches. Helps float the kite and gives slack to the bowman who's trying to make the pole. 

Trimmer - grab the sheet and guy with one hand. As the boat turns move the hand to one side, essentially easing the sheet and trimming the old guy. This relationship should be a 1:1. To many times the sheet gets eased and the guy moves 2" instead of 4'.


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