What is a jibe in sailing?

Asked by: Christina Martinez

A jibe (US) or gybe (Britain) is a sailing maneuver whereby a sailing vessel reaching downwind turns its stern through the wind, which then exerts its force from the opposite side of the vessel. For square-rigged ships, this maneuver is called wearing ship.

What’s the difference between a jibe and a tack?

Tacking is when the bow (front of the boat) passes across the wind. Jibing is when the stern (back of the boat) through the eye of the wind.

What is the purpose of jibing?

Gybing is the sailing manoeuvre used to change a boat’s direction through a following wind. As with the tacking manoeuvre, gybing a sailing boat calls for the crew to work together as a team and is one of the first sailing skills to learn.

What do you say when jibing?

If you are trying to jibe around some point, you should time it so that you just finish pulling in your sail as you pass the point. Step 4: Immediately prior to jibing, helmsman says, “Jibe Ho!” Again, just like a tack, you are informing everyone on your boat that you are about to execute the turn.

How can I stop jibing?

You have to trim the sails tighter and sail as much as 10 to 20 degrees higher than dead downwind to reduce the chances of a wipeout. You need to prevent the boat from heeling to windward.

What does pinching mean in sailing?

Pinching is when the boat is sailed too close to the wind direction, causing the angle of attack on the sail to be too narrow.

What is it called when there is no wind when sailing?

Tide Over



Not to be confused with “tied over,” this phrase has its origins in seafaring. When there was no wind to fill the sails, sailors would float with the tide until the wind returned. They would “tide over.”

How do you jibe a sailboat?

Towards the boom move your weight to the centreline of the boat. And push the tiller away from the boom. And the boat will turn immediately to help the boom across pull on the mainsheet Falls.

What does jive Ho mean?

“Jai ho” (Hindi: जय हो), also transliterated “Jaya ho”, is a Hindi phrase which can be roughly translated as “Let [the] victory prevail”, “Let there be victory”, or “May there be victory”, “Victory Be To”. In some Indian languages such as Gujarati it can also be heard used as a synonym for “Praise Be To”.

Why do you tack when sailing?

Tacking is the sailing manoeuvre used to change a boat’s direction through an oncoming wind. Tacking a sailing boat calls for the crew to work as a co-ordinated team and is one of the first sailing skills to learn.

When running downwind what can be done to prevent a jibe?

When sailing downwind, there is always a danger of an accidental gybe due to a wind gust, a wave suddenly turning the boat or a steering error. To prevent this, use a line to hold the boom in place so that it cannot move across the boat.

What causes a boat to broach?

A broach is an abrupt, involuntary change in a vessel’s course, towards the wind, resulting from loss of directional control, when the vessel’s rudder becomes ineffective. This can be caused by wind or wave action. A wind gust can heel (lean) a sailing vessel, lifting its rudder out of the water.

How did old ships sail without wind?

@PieterGeerkens Square rigged ships sailed against the wind by using their fore-and-aft sails, with the square sails furled. The square sails could not manage more than a beam reach.

Why does starboard have right of way?

Most sailors were right handed, so the steering oar was placed over or through the right side of the stern . Sailors began calling the right side the steering side, which soon became “starboard” by combining two Old English words: stéor (meaning “steer”) and bord (meaning “the side of a boat”).

Can Genoa be self tacking?

The forward stay has a genoa and the inner stay has a 97% jib, which is usually self-tacking.

What are the three corners of a sail?

The peak is the very top of the sail. The throat is the top front corner of the sail. The tack (noun) is the name for the lower corner of the sail closest to the mast. Not to be confused with a tack which describes which side of a sailboat the wind is coming from while under way—port or starboard.

What is the difference between a jib and a genoa?

A jib is a foresail that does not extend aft beyond the mast; a genoa, on the other hand, is larger and will overlap the mast and part of the mainsail. A jib sail is used for strong winds and is easy to handle, while the genoa is perfect for downwind sailing in light winds.