File - Canadian Wayfarer Association

5 The main boom is sheeted in a bit, and, on order, the gybe is started, and the boom is
flicked across by the helm (helped by the crew perhaps) 37 .
6 As the crew goes over with the helm, he uncleats the jib, and takes the sheet from the
other side with him.
7 Crew balances the boat, forgetting the sails until the boat is stable again.
8 Crew cleats the jib. On the order “NOW”, from the helm, he goes forward to unclip the
pole from the mast.
9 The leeward sheet is pulled out of the plunger.
10 The uphaul rope is reorganised in its pole fitting if necessary.
11 The new windward sheet is fed through the pole end and that end is pushed forwards.
12 If the crew has cleated it right, before the gybe, the new windward sheet will stop the
pole just short of the forestay, while the new leeward sheet, if pre-cleated correctly,
should just enable the sail to set.
13 All this time, the helmsman should be refraining from such unhelpful comments as “Hurry
up!”, etc. He should be standing, balancing the boat for the straining, un-balanced crew.
He should be keeping the boat as upright as possible, without swaying to windward, which
will un-balance the crew even further.
14 Be careful about feeding the windward sheet through the lead near the shroud, or about
tensioning the windward barberhauler. This will bring the pole aft by tightening the
windward sheet, and may cause the spinnaker to collapse.
15 The crew sits down, sheeting the jib in properly - easing or tensioning as necessary. Then
he picks up the leeward spinnaker sheet.
16 The helmsman sheets in and off they go.
Gybing on the run
Gybing on the run uses very similar techniques except that the crew should hand the sheets to
the helm after gybing the main. The helm can then keep the spinnaker flying whilst steering with
the tiller between his legs.
2.9 Racing techniques
In recent years, the Wayfarer has developed into an exciting and demanding racing dinghy.
Exciting, not in the sense of an out and out planing trapeze dinghy, but rather in the sense that
it responds so beautifully to correct, accurate control. In fact the closer the racing, the greater
the need for this positive control. Thus, proper technique is important. Luckily, the controls
which organize Wayfarer boat speed are now well known. Influenced as they are by the specific
characteristics of the Wayfarer, these controls revolve around:
1 The need to keep the relatively heavy hull with its large wetted area moving as quickly as
possible in all conditions.
2 The need to keep the air flowing smoothly over the large, low aspect ratio sail plan
without the air stalling and without the boat heeling too much.
3 To ensure that the raked aft centreboard creates the maximum possible resistance and
that the rather small rudder blade steers the boat, even in the strongest of breezes.
With their parallel sides and short bevels, they will both stall all too easily if not
properly used.
37 Al Schönborn’s note: I don’t think anyone I know really “flicks the boom across” except in light
air. It is usually necessary to bear away well past straight downwind until the boom ‘wants’ to
come over. See also the article on the S-gybe in Efficient Sailing!
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