Getting Around or How to Jybe

I've only just begun learning to sail a moth and here I am explaining how to jybe. Am I arrogant? Yes, in large part. Then there's the fact that I still remember the learning process so I'm well positioned to share it and - here goes the arrogance again - I haven't seen much in the way of well written guides that explain the most basic mechanics. I hope this very brief intro saves beginners some time.

Basics: Sailing a moth downwind is largely like riding a bike. The boat is inherently unstable and the pilot must steer for balance. Since it is very fast the centrifugal force will make the boat heel towards the outside of a turn. This translates to head up - heel to leeward, bear off - heel to windward.

Just as on a bike, a turn is initiated by a weight transfer towards the inside of the turn and then steering is adjusted to keep the boat in balance through the turn. What's different from a conventional boat? On a slow conventional boat you steer first and then shift the weight (especially in the case of a roll jybe). On a Moth such a manoeuvre is looking for trouble; it is the equivalent of turning the handle bars on your bike before leaning into the corner.

Viewed from the outside, a jybing moth will appear to remain flat and that's because steering is used to keep it that way. However always remember that the only way a Moth will stay flat while turning is if weight has initially been transferred towards the inside of the turn.

There are surely many more fine points to jybing but if you keep this one in mind you will get around.