The
name comes from the need to duck (lower your head) under the rig during the sail-flip.
This avoids a bonk on the bean by the boom in the best case, or a mouth full of clew in
the worst case!
Why do it? (Are you ready for this?) You are bored by
regular carved gybes.
There are two differences between the duck gybe and regular ones.
The first is the method of flipping the sail: the clew swings over the stern
in a duck gybe, instead of the bow in a regular gybe. The second
difference is the timing of the sail-flip: it happens before the bow passes
through 6 o’clock, instead of after 6 o’clock.
The duck gybe is a high-wind carving gybe, but the best way to learn
it is to return to light-wind conditions, and try a couple of things. First we try
the sail-360: a rig handling exercise to become comfortable with how to flip
the sail in a duck gybe. Then we return to the flare gybe of Part II, but using the
sail-flip learned in the sail-360—think of it as a flare duck gybe.
Finally we try the high-wind duck gybe. Understand, however, that it is a
carving gybe, so it’s smart to master a regular carved gybe before trying an
irregular duck gybe.
