Gybing (also spelled jibing) and tacking are two fundamental sailing manoeuvres that change the boat’s direction relative to the wind. The essential difference to remember is that you tack into the wind, and you gybe when sailing with the wind. I.e., you tack after you “close haul” into the wind, and you gybe after you are on a “run”.

You can see that tacking and gybing are closely related to “points of sail”. More on points of sail here… Here is a quick reminder of the basic points of sail:

Let’s now have a look at tacking vs gybing…

1. Tacking (Coming About)

• Definition: Turning the bow (front) of the boat through the wind so that the wind switches from one side of the sails to the other.
• When Used: When sailing upwind (against the wind) in a zigzag pattern, often when close-hauled.
• Process:
  
  1. The boat starts sailing at an angle to the wind (close-hauled).
  2. The helm (rudder) is turned to bring the bow through the wind (head-to-wind). At this point, the sails may luff.
  3. The sails switch sides as the boat completes the turn.
  4. The boat continues sailing on the new tack, often on a close haul. This process repeats itself, creating an upwind zigzag heading.
  5. If you are racing, you must realise that you are not tacking at position 3 in the illustration below. You are merely luffing your sails. The tacking part starts when the boat goes through head-to-wind until it is on a close-hauled course. This becomes important for interpreting Rule 13.
• Command:
  
  • “Prepare to tack” – Crew gets ready but no other action is taken. 
  • “Ready to tack?” – Crew respond “Ready”
  • “Tacking” – the helmsman steers the vessel through head-to-wind. The jib trimmer releases the active sheet and starts hauling in the new active sheet on the leeward side of the boat. The main sail trimmer has little adjustments to make. All crew move to the windward (high side) of the vessel.

🔹 Illustration for Tacking:

2. Gybing

• Definition: Turning the stern (back) of the boat through the wind, causing the sails to shift from one side to the other. The boom will move from one side of the boat to the other side.
• When Used: When sailing downwind or with the wind (with the wind behind the boat), often on a run.
• Risk: Gybing can be riskier than tacking because the boom swings from one extreme perimeter to another. It can be dangerous if not controlled and should be avoided in rough conditions to reduce the chance of damage and/or injury.
• Accidental gybe: Looking back at the points of sail diagram above, it is worth noting that the area between a port and starboard “run” is often called the “DANGER ZONE”. You could expect accidental gybes caused by either wind shifts or large swell in light winds, where the boom falls to the other side of the boat due to the angle of the boat and simple gravity. To mitigate against accidental gybe, you can rig up a “preventer”. This line runs from the end of the boom (near the main sail’s clew), forward through a block and then back into the cockpit. It is mainly used for long distance sailing where you have the wind behind you for an extended period.
• Process:
  
  1. The boat sails at an angle with the wind behind it.
  2. The helm is turned so that the stern passes through the wind.
  3. The sails quickly swing across (can be forceful if uncontrolled).
  4. The boat continues on the new tack.
• Command:
  
  • “Prepare to gybe” – the trimmer on the main sheet immediately starts to bring the boom all the way in. 
  • “Ready to gybe?” – Crew respond “Ready”
  • “Gybing”
    
    • The helmsman gybes the vessel. 
    • The main sail trimmer lets out the main sheet in a controlled manner until the sail is set correctly for the new course.
    • The jib trimmer may leave the jib on the original side and “goose-wing” the jib with or without a whisker pole. Alternatively, the jib trimmer releases the active jib sheet and hauls in the new active jib sheet. A whisker pole can be used to “wing out” the jib to avoid luffing in the lee of the main sail.

🔹 Illustration for Gybing:

The Granny Tack

A granny tack is a sailing manoeuvre where a boat turns in a full circle in the wrong direction to tack instead of gybe. It’s a conservative gybing alternative when conditions make gybing risky.

Below, the yellow boat is performing a conventional gybe. When the wind conditions deteriorate, performing the Granny Tack may be considered good seamanship, as the blue boat below illustrates. In the end, Yellow and Blue change from being on a port tack to a starboard tack and are on the same heading. It is safer but slower, hence the name Granny Tack.

Key Differences