We tend to spend a huge amount of time focused on perfecting the perfect gybe but once we have achieved our first tack it tends to get shelved until we are forced to re-examine it.

It’s a move that can help us make more of our time on the water, storing up upwind ground to cash in on trying moves or riding waves that are going to send us down wind.

Breaking it down and being your own coach

In all these tech pieces where transitions are the focus we’ll look at: Preparation, Entry, Midpoints and Exits, with the focus being on three things the head, hands and feet. This way when trying to coach yourself you’ll have a platform from which to form your own feedback.

Preparation

This stage is normally missed but is the only part of the move where we have time to make decisions. I Tack by holding onto the mast, it helps maintain space between body and rig and makes you more dynamic, if you want to tack boom to boom then the front hand will simply slide forward rather than go to the mast.

• Check you’re clear

• Front hand to the mast (at the bottom of the cut out if not lower, the lower you go the more space and faster you’ll tack).

• Unhook and sink low

*Top Tip – Don’t head too far upwind before doing this, that way you’ll take maximum speed into the entry.