Very good point. In addition to these two techniques, there's also the fisherman's reef for short segments of heavy air. Short, not all day!I have luffed the main top on a short windy leg usually because I'm lazy, instead flattening the sail like I should. It's great fun to know that it's actually a "technique".
Stu, what's a fisherman's reef?
When sailing high the jib is typically sheeted tight. In a puff or lazy sailor on a windy beat, you can ease the the main sheet with the traveler to leeward. This puts the main luff in the wash of the jib and stalls it. Basically the main is trimmed to sh$t but it's a quick way to depower it. Same theory as "when in doubt let it out", except you don't trim the jib out, and you leave the sails like that until the wind calms or you decide on other tactics.
I see you've tried that without success. It simply is letting the main out, usually with the traveler rather than the mainsheet, and letting the luff, well, luff a bit.
Thanks guys! Yeah, even with the term in quotes, all the googles would give me was a million results for "Frenchman's Reef" ... which I now know is a Marriott resort on the south shore of St. Thomas, where they welcome guests to the ultimate US Virgin Island hotel experience.That's the idea. Google it.
