Chinese Gybe, Farr 40 style

When the wind is fresh and the boat is loaded, keeping the kite over the keel can be lost in an instant. You can follow along this video as the crew enjoys the thrill of a good boat on a good day, or you can scroll forward to the moment of impact. At 3:25 minutes in the video, it’s suggested to get the kite down. Moments later, it proves to be a good suggestion.

"I took this video," acknowledged Morgan Miller. "Yes, it was a crazy experience. This was during the 2015 windjammer which is a race from San Francisco to Santa Cruz. There was a puff and the sheet got eased, and then all hell broke loose."

[CN]

There are a lot of people bashing the helmsman saying he was distracted and lost control. But there isn't much the helm can do when the trimmer drops a meter of sheet causing the spinnaker to rotate around the front of the boat inducing so much heel that the rudder starts to poke out of the water. As soon the boat became uncontrollable, vang and sheet needed to come on and the pole needed to go forward. This was caused by the trimmers not the helm.

[rabidbigdog]

Everyone does it. Great recovery. Sorry about your pole.

[morganmiller]

Haha wow I took this video! Ya crazy experience. Happend during the 2015 windjammer which is a race from San Francisco to Santa Cruz. Ya there was a puff and the sheet got eased and all hell broke loose. Right before that we hit 18 knots, which on a Farr 40 is pretty insane! Super fun time.

[pigmyable]

I have been through at least 30 Chinese gybe and the reason they happen is not normally a helmsman issue but because someone eased the spinnaker sheet. This exactly what happened one second before this gybe. I raced on Frees 43 named di-hard and she was the most unforgiving yacht on the planet.

[branemarkmoriarty]

This video helped me understand what happened on sv platino. A 100 times heavier boom swinging in front of the helm back and forth.

[philsurfmoresinclair]

So now the kites down, what's the next move? Jibe the main, sort out any damage, chuck the heady up and pole it out. Once confidence has returned in the crew and owner throw up the 1.5oz kite and hang on for a while longer. Concentration levels usually stay fairly high after a chinese and maybe sail a degree or two higher on course.

[mddah]

nice video - anyone who has sailed regularly knows that feeling. I was surprised how quickly the rudder stalled after the boat heeled to windward - the helmsman seemed to have the wheel well over with little response. I wonder if twin rudders would be better? After the gybe I wonder if the boom vang could have been released faster? I know its easy watching this from the comfort of a chair>>>> Thanks for posting

[ramiro]

When start swinging from windward to leeward have to depower the kite flattening out behind the main sail and tighten the kicker to give the main more power to counter balance. YES, the crew too relaxed knowing that a chinese gybe may happend.

[dehdeh]

Even for a racer, is it normal to let the main go that far onto the stays? Had the main been less loose, the gybe would have been less exciting. But the most important thing is that they were going 15+ knots down wind, and still had 15+ knots of wind in the sails. This means when they stopped, the apparent wind increased from 15+ to 30+. With so much wind, a preventer seems smart. It is great fun to power downwind in lots of wind, but it is riding a tiger.

[henriklarsson]

Respect, been there done that. Once the rudder control is gone you don’t stand a chance. It’s about practice, practice and more practice. Thanks for sharing.

[lbyvik]

this was easily prevented. Too many of the crew are too relaxed and too far forward and seemingly without a task ...all crew should be alert and a member each on Vang, both spin sheets and main sheet and a tactician should be instructing trim to the whole crew and allow the helmsman to concentrate on driving the boat. The guy on helm looked to be doing a good job. The crew member on the cabin top should not be facing aft, but be in the pit. Put him on vang, halyards and topping lift. At these speeds, every crew member must be concentrating on their task(s). The driver should ONLY drive and a tactician should be giving instructions.

Farr 40s are designed to be bow out downwind. Seems to me with so much of the crew weight midships to forward that this gybe may have caused by the bow getting stuck on the back of a wave and the boat getting bow-steered into the gybe

[jazldazl]

A Chinese gybe on a sailing vessel is a type of gybe where the upper section of the main sail moves cross the boat, filling from the opposite side, whilst the lower section and boom remain on the original side of the vessel.

[michaelmincham]

This is why you have a guy on the vang
been there done that on a S80 back from Bunbury to cape Naturalise Western Australia at night made for an interesting time

[lassegrnagerandersen]

Going så fast.. looks like you dit it for a joke... the speed and controle.. and then just 😂

[tswoods]

ah maybe don't distract the helmsmen, that bloke could steer my boat anyday

[andrewvare]

Little knockdown. Several a4 deer in headlights, the only time they respond is to some yelling. Going out the backdoor is never fun, but always rewards good seamanship.

[dairsails]

lots of funny comments... speak to empower your skipper not have them doubting/questioning

[crashtestdummy]

We should probably get this kite down 😜

[tabulusrasa]

Wow. Everyone jus look so calm and just did what was needed. Awesome.

[sologistics]

Crew too relaxed, failure to anticipate (except for the one guy who says "we should probably get this kite down" 10 seconds before), especially when hitting 18 knots.