I've searched for this but can't see anything immediately relevant.
Could some kind soul please break down gybing a Laser into its component parts for me? I know what I think it is, but I'd be really interested to see what others say.
1)- Turn your rudder. The more breeze there is the more aggressive your rudder movement should be.
2)- Give the boat a little roll to weather. The more breeze there is the less amount of roll you should apply.
3)- As the main starts to come across give a big yank on the main sheet and transition to the new weather side.
4)- When the jibe is complete ease the main, (if needed) and ster down to your new proper course, (if needed).
At what point do you centre the rudder?
1. let some mainsheet out.
2. let the boat heel to windward. Never force the rudder over. Will be slow and tends to make you wet! when you fall in.
3. when you want the boom to go over, center the tiller and stop the turn.
if it is light winds I tend to skip step 1.
I don't necessarily agree with this, particularly in a breeze. If you are on a reach, you don't want to let the sail out any more. If you are on a run, you definitely want to sheet in before turning. This will backwind the sail and help push the boom across. Obviously you need to sheet out quickly after gybing.
Some of my scariest Laser sailing moments are attempting to gybe and having the sail fill by the lee. The boat will take off on screaming plane with my body in the wrong position. It's a death roll waiting to happen.
Students of Mr Cockerill will tell you that, yes, letting the main out will cause to boat to want to roll to weather, and that is exactly what you want.
At that point steer aggressively down, the lifting efffect of the rudder balances the weather roll, flattening the boat, and screaming into the gybe you go.
His other point is that the centrifical force of the turn keeps the boom out, until you want the boom to come over. At that point you centre the rudder and over it comes.
Watch the boat whisperer - he describes it better than I do.
I think your way works too, but is maybe not as fast...?
Probably so, but my main aim is to get the boom to cross when I expect and not capsize.
What the boat whisperer describes is for Laser Studs going for the gold medal. My technique is for Laser Scrubs holding on for dear life in too much breeze.
At what point do you centre the rudder?