It's tough when the curves are that small, however you shouldn't need to "Soak the wood for hours"

In fact, that can be part of the problem.

The laminates are thin and should bend fairly well on their own. Try just wetting the outside of the curve as you go with a wet sponge. This will cause the wood to swell on the outside only which will cause it to bend away from the wet side. Meanwhile, the dry side will add some rigidity.