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Gybe (also spelled jibe) is when a sailing boat (yacht) turns its stern through the wind, such that the wind changes from one side of the boat to the other. Contrast with tack which is a turning the bow of the boat through the wind.
A gybe can generally be completed more quickly than a tack because the boat never turns into the wind. Thus the vessel typically loses less speed because it encounters less wind resistance during the maneuver.
However, a gybe can be more dangerous than a tack (turning head into the wind) because, as the boat turns, the leeward side of the sail and boom suddenly catches the wind. This can cause the boom to swing across violently and the boat to heel. This can be the cause of severe injury to anyone standing in the path of the boom as it sweeps across the boat. To prevent this from happening, on a small boat, the boom is often guided across the boat by hand as the stern of the boat crosses the direction of the wind. On a larger boat the mainsheet is tightened during the turn to limit the range of movement of the boom. Once on the new course the mainsheet is released and the main sail trimmed. These techniques prevent the boom from swinging unexpectedly.
Accidental gybes may occur when on a course that is running almost completely downwind if the wind catches the leeward side of the sail.
See also
GYBE is also a common abbreviation for the band Godspeed You Black Emperor!
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