Asymetric Gybe

Gybes are best carried out at speed, but that shouldn't be confused with gybing quickly. You want to carry as much speed into the turn as possible, as this will mean there will be less pressure on the main as it comes across. However, you need to avoid being agressive with the tiller (gybing quickly), as this will cause you to round up into the wind rapidly, powering up both sails, causing you to heel over, turn further and swim.

Otherwise, you want to be doing pretty much what you descibe- steer in slowly, straighten up as the boom comes across, then head up (and speed up) once you're settled. As you get better at this, you can do it quicker.

Depowering the kite:

What I've been taught on the B14, which has a far bigger kite than I've used in the past (I've never really needed to depower whilst gybing on other boats), for heavy weather is this:

1: pick up the psychic signals from the stick waggler that a gybe is imminent

2: take up the slack on the "lazy" sheet (current windward sheet)

3: stick waggler mumbles something. Hike the boat flat as he starts to steer, and haul the "working" (loaded) sheet in as tight as possible.

4: as you cross the boat, keep the kite pinned in. It will now collapse against the jib. This is what you're trying to do, DO NOT PANIC.

5: With the main and jib safely over, and the stick waggler having extricated himself from another fine mess, release the new "lazy" sheet, haul the big sail round the forestay, and off you go.

This is where having a way of attaching the kite sheet that minimises catching can be handy. Our current set up has the core exposed at the mid poinnt, and the ends of the outer stiched together, forming a small loop. This goes through the clew, and the ends passed through it. It could be improved by having a short piece of thin line spliced across the "v" that's created. Zip luff or integrated forestay jibs are also important for this.