PRO SERIES
In this third of a new series on double-handed sailing techniques, Pip Hare explains the skill of inside gybing a spinnaker
Double-handed sailing is gaining in popularity across many disciplines – we now regularly see crews of two managing all sizes of boat, and sailing them with the same efficiency and expectations as full crews. Here I’m sharing how I approach key manoeuvres with a crew of two, how to minimise risk, prepare for success and advance your techniques.
Outside gybing an asymmetric spinnaker is an under-utilised technique by the average sailor. It can be trickier to learn than other techniques, and may require a little adaptation of your boat, but it has some significant advantages over the inside gybe, particularly when trying to avoid the spinnaker ‘wine-glassing’ in a bigger breeze.
A ‘wine glass’ happens when the clew of the spinnaker is eased, reducing leech tension and creating depth in the centre of the sail. This depth allows instability in the head and if a leech collapses inwards, wind can get onto the front surface of the spinnaker
