On exit from a gybe I have always hooked in first before going for the straps, but last week I noticed the nose of the board rising when I did this so I tried getting into the front strap first and then hooking in. These seemed much better and the nose of the board stayed down and we kept accelerating. I think I noticed it because I was on flat, flat water (not normal for me) and the little bit of nose rise was therefore obvious.

I hadn't thought of it before, but is this an accepted technique for fast alphas?

Guess it may depend if you're doing a step gybe or strap to strap. If your new fron foot is behind the front strap when you come out moving it forward into the strap would indeed help to keep the nose down and give quicker acceleration, But if your front foot is in front of the front strap, I don't see how moving it back helps, in that instance I'd be going for the harness lines first. That improves mast foot pressure.

I spend as little time unhooked as possible. Partly because of my skinny-arse arms, but mainly to get the weight off my feet as soon as possible to keep the board flat.

My favourite gybes are strap-to-strap and what we used to call "no-handed gybes". Nobody seems to do them any more, maybe because sails have changed. I only got a GPS watch at the end of the season and had never heard of alphas before that. Looking at my tracks I was disappointed to see the kink in the exit track on many gybes. I think maybe being an ex-wavesailer I instinctively try to keep the gybe tight so I don't end up too far downwind. Most of these tracks are about 30m apart.

At least I have the tools to be a little more analytical now. Which should be fun.

This was last summer, the first time in 35 years that someone pointed a camera at me gybing,... and made a meal of it :(

Select to expand quote

decrepit said..
Guess it may depend if you're doing a step gybe or strap to strap. If your new fron foot is behind the front strap when you come out moving it forward into the strap would indeed help to keep the nose down and give quicker acceleration, But if your front foot is in front of the front strap, I don't see how moving it back helps, in that instance I'd be going for the harness lines first. That improves mast foot pressure.

Step gybe. I lifting my front foot up puts pressure through the mast foot because im hangi g from the boom a bit.

Love doing no hand jybes

Select to expand quote

kato said..
Love doing no hand jybes

+1

I love doing gybes without water starts

Select to expand quote

elmo said..
I love doing gybes without water starts

On flat water and slalom board, try putting back foot in first to drive off the fin as you exit. Put front foot between straps first to push. Speed and mast foot pressure should keep the nose down in this scenario.

Select to expand quote

sailquik said..
On flat water and slalom board, try putting back foot in first to drive off the fin as you exit. Put front foot between straps first to push. Speed and mast foot pressure should keep the nose down in this scenario.

That has me interested Sailquik. Is the sequence a step gybe, back foot into strap then front foot into strap?

For me, it is like a strap to strap where I switch feet just after the rig flip. But don't go staight into the front strap.