Anyone who often rides a normal foil jibe in light winds will be familiar with the problem of overtaking the wind downwind. The trailing edge of the wing then sinks and creates a braking effect that makes it difficult to foil through the jibe. However, there are other jibe variants that avoid this problem because the leading edge (= front tube) is constantly flowing against the wing. The Heineken Jibe - together with the Race Jibe and the Duck Jibe - is one of the gybe variants that offer particular advantages in light winds because the braking effect of the wing is eliminated. Incidentally, this jibe variant was invented by the American Jonny Heineken - hence the name.
If you have the Standard jibe you are ready for the Heineken Jibe, because the manoeuvre is not that difficult to learn. The ideal conditions for practising are light winds, where you can relax and do your manoeuvres, only in really powerful conditions can the Heineken Jibe become difficult. We show you all the individual steps and key points in the following picture gallery.
Heineken Jibe - the most important sticking points
- Get speed and check free space downwind
- Pull the wing over your head in a neutral position on a downwind course
- Basic principle: First pull the wing to the outside of the turn, then swing round on the outside towards the bow
- Consistently maintain curve radius
Manuel Vogel
Editor surf
