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From: Tony English
Date: 26 Aug 1998
Time: 09:23:04
Remote Name: gatekeeper.canon.com
Going into the jibe, you are correct about how to get set up. Once the sheet is released, all I have to do is rotate the pole through its arc as the tack floats across. In the vast majority of cases, I have the pole locked into its new position before the sheet has taken the load on the new jibe. As a matter of fact, in heavy air 20+ knots, our trimmer sometimes needs to use the cabin-top winches to aide trimming the kite. When that happens, I still have time to complete the pole rotation, clear the "old" sheet from its winch, and get back on the vang to depower the main if necessary. Once the jibe is completed, I adjust the tack height, and on a reach, am on the rail flattening the boat.
Now, there have been times when I missed the jibe, and in those cases, you are correct; it can take some effort to get the pole rotated. But if the pit person times it well, that doesn't happen often (I can only think of three or four times all year).