Technique: Laser gybing

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Laser gybing

Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Technique
Forum Discription: 'How to' section for dinghy questions and answers
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9540
Printed Date: 08 Aug 25 at 2:13am
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Topic: Laser gybing

Posted By: doeywizard
Subject: Laser gybing
Date Posted: 24 Jun 12 at 9:58pm

Today I was sailing my laser in what was very gusty conditions. I am just moving out of a topper and I was using the 4.7 rig. I got two firsts in club racing and a second but in the third race the wind increased and was very strong. After all the lasers taking swims at some point during the day I had my second ever capsize in a laser. It was a spectacular capsize in a gybe. To cut a long story short I was wandering if there are any tips for gybing laser in a blow such as kicker tention and centerboard position.

Thanks Isaac

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Topper 46148 for sale
http://sailingdinghies.apolloduck.co.uk/display.phtml?aid=276804

Replies:

Posted By: GybeFunny
Date Posted: 24 Jun 12 at 10:09pm

Centreboard up a bit but not so much that the boom hits it, I like kicker on hard, this does mean that there is more liklihood of the boom hitting the water but it means there is more power in the sail which can help prevnt it coming in to windward afterwards.

Posted By: Ginge
Date Posted: 24 Jun 12 at 10:13pm

Let kicker off before in order to spill wind, board up a bit and get straight out hiking, and not forgetting a lot of luck ;)

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Laser

Posted By: Oatsandbeans
Date Posted: 25 Jun 12 at 7:15am

The one thing that changed my laser gybing for full on reach to reach gybes was a tip from the rooster video to let the main out whilst still sitting out. This gives the boat weather heel which initiates the bear away without using the rudder. Its sounds scary and needs a bit of practice but it really works as most others end up with lee heel going into the gybe which kills your speed and gives you lots of problems when the boom finally comes over. Try it next time its windy (but don't bail out halfway through when the bear away kicks in!)

Posted By: Neptune
Date Posted: 25 Jun 12 at 12:04pm

I wouldn't imagine that the technique is much different from a centre sheeted topper - obviously with two first places your not far off the mark already.

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Musto Skiff and Solo sailor

Posted By: maxibuddah
Date Posted: 25 Jun 12 at 2:00pm

Gybe while planing if you can as it de-loads the rig and makes it a lot safer. Use about half kicker as it stops the boom hitting the water on the exit of the gybe which tip you in. Use max half board perhaps a little less.

If you are worried about the windiness and it's a beam to beam or tighter Gybe pull the main in a bit Gybe and as you come out the other side let's the main out again which will De power get yourself set and pull in again. If it's a run head up and do the same. These techniques are safety first and will just let you survive until you feel confident enough to give it a go with the rooster technique.

One thing not to do is flick the main as this quite often ends up with the main wrapped around the end of the boom which is very difficult to get out of.

It's much better to roll the boat as this keeps the mainsheet out if the water stopping it dragging behind the Hull and then getting caught on the transom. Also by sheeting in a bit will also stop the main dragging.

I expect you already knew that but I thought I would mention it just in case you didn't.

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Everything I say is my opinion, honest

Posted By: Wiclif
Date Posted: 26 Jun 12 at 5:35pm

I would like to suggest an alternative method of gybing that may seem unusual at first.

First I would ask how people capsize when gybing. My answer is that you tend to capsize to windward before the gybe and capsize to leeward after the gybe. My solution is to move across earlier so that you are "sitting" on the same side as the boom immediately before the gybe.

I would suggest that when you set yourself up for gybing your weight is totally on your feet in the middle of the cockpit and not on your backside - therefore you can be facing with your back to the boom and your backside resting on the "new" sidedeck. Since you have already moved you just duck for the boom coming across and you are already in the correct position for sitting out on the new gybe.

Only for heavier weather!

As a party piece to practise, sit out on the same side as the boom while running by the lee. The thing to remember here is that if things feel like going out of control you MUST gybe and not attempt to luff up. As the boom is so far forward it takes ages to come across and there should be no chance of capsizing.

I would always tend to keep the centreboard fairly far down as I felt it gave better steering control.

Best of luck and have fun.

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Wiclif

Posted By: popeye_ali
Date Posted: 30 Jun 12 at 9:52am

Steer back into the gybe! As soon as the boom starts to come over your head steer back as if you didn't want to but carry on pulling the boom onto the new side.

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RS400, RS600, RS700, RS800, Int Moth, Laser. Musto Skiff (current)

Posted By: doeywizard
Date Posted: 30 Jun 12 at 10:09pm

Thanks for the responses I will give them all a go and hope that I stay upright

Thanks

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Topper 46148 for sale
http://sailingdinghies.apolloduck.co.uk/display.phtml?aid=276804

Posted By: zippyRN
Date Posted: 30 Jun 12 at 10:25pm

Originally posted by Neptune

I wouldn't imagine that the technique is much different from a centre sheeted topper - obviously with two first places your not far off the mark already.

except it;s a lot easier to stall out the small rudder on a laser ... hence the comments about initialitiong the manouvere with trim rather than the rudder ... you could argue that a topper is over ruddered ...

Posted By: jeffers
Date Posted: 02 Jul 12 at 7:46am

Part of the problem with gybing in a breeze is that most people want to slow the boat down. This is a mistake as there is then more 'load' on the rig when you gybe (and the boat tends to either blow over or trip over the foils).

The way to do it (I have found) is to have the board about half way up. Kicker set so the boom is 90 from the mast (i.e. not flying above that as it causes the leech to twist too far, I have stop knot that prevent is going off too far). Then just keep it nice and smooth, stay positive. Hike hard and ease the main to initiate the turn the let the rudder 'follow', give the usual heave on the mainsheet (to stop the sheet catching on the corner) as the boom starts to move get across the boat and straighten the rudder up and be ready to hike as soon as the boom is past your head.

If you get it right it looks impressive and you get a nice big acceleration out of the gybe as the power comes on. It takes a lot of practice so I would advise you practice your drills in lighter airs until they are second nature and you don't need to think about them.

The trick is you gybe the boat, you don't let the boat gybe you.

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Paul
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D-Zero GBR 74

Posted By: Oatsandbeans
Date Posted: 02 Jul 12 at 12:06pm

I agree 100% with Jeffers on this. If you want to see a video of this go on you tube "2008 Gorge Laser Performance clinic " there is a great example at 2:54 in of a reach to reach gybe done using windward heel and very little rudder ( freeze frame it halfway through to check), great speed in and out of the gybe and a nice tight turn. No S- ing with the helm, in fact he hardly uses any helm. There is also a great gybe at 2:40 showing you how easy it is to do a gybe on a run from sailing heavily bye the lee - just sheet the main in and it happens, even with a massive amount of heel on at the time -no capsize, it looks easy ( and it actually is!).

Posted By: Cameron Winton
Date Posted: 03 Jul 12 at 11:20pm

Just home from a gybe/tack training session tonight. I would agree with the practise in light winds first. We were a bit ropey but it started to come. Windward heel going into gybe helps everything including the snagging of the main sheet. Takes a bit getting used to. Getting it right is noticeable a good oomph out of the gybe. must get the timing right of pulling in the mainsheet as well.