Laser sailing

A gybe should work as follows.

1)head up a bit and pull sheet in up to half way, more in light winds generally.

2)start to steer the boat through the wind using little rudder and as much bodyweight as you can.

3)feel the sheet start to unload as the leech wants to pass through the wind and the sail wants to gybe. At this point pump in about a metre of sheet.  looking backwards at the sheet coming off the end of the boom to see it go slack is a good practice, try and sail the boat without gybing but controlling it to let this go slack and tight again using steering in light winds to get a feel for this.

4) as soon as the boom starts coming accross start to move your weight, faster in heavy winds. 

5) as the boom hits the centreline reverse  the steering to head back downwind which will balance the boat out and stop you capsizing to leeward on the new side.

 

This is the basics of what is known as an S gybe.  The flick of the mainsheet you were doing is not wrong but you must have timed it badly.  Basically, if the sheet is too tight when you flick, it will probably still get hooked on the back, if it is too loose then it is likely to go round the end of the boom.

 

Really it is just a case of practicing this, may involve getting wet a few times but its all good fun!

Yes getting the mainsheet over the end of the boom if you try to flick it is a problem. Don't flick.

 

Gybing without rolling the boat lets the mainsheet drag in the water and therefore be pulled backwards and then catch on the corner of the hull. Look at youtube, rooster, jon emmet videos of gybing - with excessive roll to overcome the Laser specific problems... and also give you acceleration out of the gybe.

Some points -

In lighter winds grab the toestrap to 'pull the boat on top of you' to create lots of roll. It may feel unnatural but you will get used to it!

Watch the videos to see how much sheet is pulled in before the gybe.

Practice practice practice.