Jibing the Spinnaker

Jibing with the Spinnaker

Jibing the spinnaker can be a daunting task, but with practice comes improvement.  Communication between skipper and crew is essential for good downwind boat-handling.  Prior to the jibe be sure you are sailing your optimum VMG (velocity made good) to the next mark.  See the Boat speed page for more on straight line speed downwind.

Prepare to jibe

• • SKIPPER - Say to your crew, "prepare to jibe."

  • CREW - Pass the guy to your skipper.  Ask, "got it?"  Wait for the reply "got it" before letting go of the guy.  Pass the sheet to your skipper.  Ask, "got it?"  Wait for the reply "got it" before letting go of the sheet.  Then, set each twing 12-18 inches off the deck.

  • SKIPPER - When you receive the sheet and guy, hold them both in your forward hand.  (You are holding the tiller in your aft hand.)  "Drive" the sail by moving your hand to port and starboard.  Using this technique ensures that you are easing one while trimming the other.

Jibe

• • SKIPPER - Steer the boat through the jibe.  Be careful not to over steer.  Turn just enough for the mainsail to jibe.  After the jibe sail a deep angle (almost dead downwind) until your crew his jibed the spinnaker pole and secured it in its new position.

  • CREW - As the boat turns through the jibe help the main jibe by grabbing the parts of the vang and pulling the mainsail across the boat.  Once the boom has jibed stand up next to the mast and slightly to windward.  STAY IN THE COCKPIT.  You do not need to go on the foredeck in this boat.

  • CREW - Release the pole from the mast.  Use the trip line on the pole to release the pole from the sheet.  Use your hand to take hold of the guy and put the jaw of the spinnaker pole (the one that was prevously on the mast) onto the guy.  Push the pole outboard.  Attach the other end of the pole (the end that was previously on the sheet) onto the mast.

Steer to your desired course after the jibe

• • SKIPPER - Pass the guy to the crew and ask, "got it?"  Wait for the reply "got it" before letting go of the guy.  Continue as the trimmer for the spinnaker sheet for now.  Steer to your desired course while communicating with the crew about pole angle.

  • CREW - Now that you have the guy in hand, use it to move the pole forward or aft as per the skipper's instructions and course adjustment.  When the skipper is happy with the course and the position of the pole, cleat the guy.

  • CREW - Fully tension the windward twing.  Ease entirely the leeward twing.

  • SKIPPER - Pass the sheet to the crew and ask, "got it?"  Wait for the reply "got it" before letting go of the sheet.

  • CREW - Now that you are flying the spinnaker, be sure you are sitting to windward.  The skipper will likely be sitting to leeward unless the skipper's weight is needed to windward.  The Boat Speed page has more on heeling angle and weight placement when sailing downwind.

Jibing the Spinnaker with Dave and Betsy Perry

Light Air Jibing with the Spinnaker

In light air, you will need to sail the boat at a very high angle to create enough apparent wind to keep the boat moving.  This means that when it is time to jibe, you will need to turn the boat 90 degrees or more in order to sail your downwind angle on the opposite jibe.  Completing a standard jibe as described above won't work because the spinnaker pole will hit the shrouds before you can rotate the sail as far as you need to in order to fill the sail on your new close hauled course.  A solution for this is to remove the pole from the sail and the mast prior to the jibe.  Watch in the video below as Dave Perry (crew) removes the spinnaker pole from the sail and the mast before the jibe.  Now the skipper can rotate the spinnaker all the way to the new leeward side as the boat turns.  Then the crew reattaches the pole.  Jibing this way allows the boat to lose minimal speed through the jibe.