Duck Gybe (Video may take a few seconds to appear)
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Foundation

You will need a good planing stance and to be carving through about 50% of your gybes. Having experience of ducking a rig from doing light wind freestyle will significantly increase the likelihood of successful completion.

Practice

  • Hanging off the boom and fast broad reach entrances to gybes
  • Ducking the sail on dry land in very light or no wind
  • Sail 360s on a floaty board in light winds.
Fundamentals

Rig away – maintaining this through the phases of setting up, carving and the exit will keep the board speed up as your weight will be on the rig and the board will be kept flat; another key fundamental.

Look where you want to go – This really is the top tip of the move. We are looking downwind on the entrance. During the duck we are looking at the exit in order to smoothly take the board through the move and to the exit point of sail.

Key Stages:

  • Set-up – Unhooking and hanging off the boom whilst maintaining speed
  • Carving – Coming over the inside rail and carving the board smoothly and keeping up board speed
  • Ducking – Crossing over the hands and ducking the rig whilst keeping the board carving
  • Exit – Collecting the rig and tightening up the carve.
Key Moves
  • Slide back hand down boom
  • Unhook, hang and take back foot out of strap
  • Bear away heaps and then carve
  • Cross front hand over to back of the boom as back hand tilts rig forward
  • Whip rig back past your ear to duck it
  • Look at exit as you collect rig
  • Draw rig back as you carve off heelside
  • Hang off rig and into planing / accelerating position.

Fault Analysis

Heavy and pulling rig – Go faster to get rig lighter, hang off the boom on extended arms and go broad.

Mast hits water and front door exit – Get the rig lighter, GO FASTER. Or concentrate on tilting the rig forward to keep mast away from the water.

Collecting the sail and getting it pulled out of your hands – Reach down the boom with the front hand going past the front harness line. Ensure rig completes transition by coming back towards tail.

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