What is tacking and jibbing?

There are only two ways to turn a sailboat through the wind, and sailing spends a lot of time on the difference between them.

Tacking is turning the bow through the wind, so the wind crosses from one side of the boat to the other over the front. Jibing (or Gybing) is turning the stern through the wind, so it crosses over the back. Both end with the sail on the opposite side and the crew sitting on the opposite rail.

They sound like mirror images, but they don’t feel anything alike, and one of them is the reason coaches watch closely.

What is tacking?

A sailboat can’t sail straight into the wind. To get anywhere upwind it has to zigzag, sailing as close to the wind as it can on one side, turning the bow through, then sailing close on the other side, over and over.

Each of those turns is a tack, and the zigzag itself is called beating to windward.

Because upwind is where most races get decided, a sailor might tack dozens of times in a single leg, so it becomes automatic pretty fast.

What happens: The helm turns the boat toward the wind. The sails lose power and flap through the middle of the turn. The crew ducks under the boom as it crosses, moves to the other side, and the sails fill again on the new side.

What you’ll hear: The skipper or helm calls “ready about” to warn the crew, then “hard alee” as they push the tiller and start the turn. This lets the crew know the skipper is pushing the tiller hard to the leeward end of the boat. Some programs say “helms alee.” Either way, the first call means get ready and the second means it’s happening now.

Where it goes wrong: If the turn is too slow, or the boat doesn’t carry enough speed into it, you stall pointing straight at the wind. That’s called being in irons, and it’s a normal part of the first day rather than a disaster. You back the sail or wait for the bow to fall off, and try again.

What is jibing?

A jibe (or gybe) turns the other way, away from the wind, with the stern passing through it.

Here’s the difference that matters. In a tack, the sail passes through the no-wind zone at the front, so it’s depowered and flapping as it crosses. In a jibe, the wind is behind you the whole

way, so the sail stays full of wind right up to the moment it swings across.

The boom comes over fast, under load, at head height.

That’s the whole reason jibes get taught carefully and tacks don’t. An uncontrolled jibe can knock somebody down, break gear, or in a strong breeze capsize the boat.

What you’ll hear: The helm calls “ready to jibe” and then “jibe ho” as the stern passes through the wind.

How it’s done properly: The crew hauls the mainsheet in before the turn so the boom has less distance to travel, the turn is made smoothly instead of sharply, and the sail is eased out in a controlled way on the new side. Done well, a jibe is quick and undramatic.

Which one will my kid learn first?

Beginners spend their early sessions turning upwind, because a tack is forgiving and the worst realistic outcome is stalling and having to start again. Jibes come later, usually in light wind, slowly and deliberately, with a coach talking through every step and everybody aware of where the boom is.

If your kid comes home saying they got stuck facing the wind and had to be rescued from it, that’s a tack that didn’t quite work, and it’s exactly what week one looks like.

Tacking vs jibing, side by side

Is it jibe or gybe?

You’ll see both. They’re the same maneuver, and jibe is the American spelling while gybe is the British one. Nobody will correct you either way.

The short version

A tack turns the front of the boat through the wind and you’ll do it constantly. A jibe turns the back through the wind and you’ll do it carefully. Both put the sail on the other side. Duck either way.

The Cleveland Foundry teaches sailing on Lake Erie for ages five and up, from first-time sailors through interscholastic and collegiate racing. You can see our programs at clevelandfoundry.org/youth-sailing.