What's a Chinese Gybe?

A Chinese gybe on a sailing vessel is a type of gybe where the upper section of the main sail moves cross the boat, filling from the opposite side, whilst the lower section and boom remain on the original side of the vessel.

Why is it called Chinese Gybe?

There seems to be two contradictory sources of the phrase 'Chinese Gybe'. According to Kemp in Oxford Companion to Ships & the Sea (1976), 166: 'It is so called because of its prevalence with the Chinese junk rig with its light bamboo battens and no boom to hold the foot of the mainsail steady.

What is the difference between a tack and a gybe?

The Gybe. Like a tack, the gybe takes place when you turn a boat through the wind and take it from one tack (say port) to another (say starboard) - or vice versa. The difference is that in the case of a gybe (as opposed to a tack) we have turned the stern (back) of the boat through the wind.