A lot depends on the jib. A 150 really powers up a Catalina 36. My brother (on his Catalina 36) has a 110 and often sails without reefing in 20-25 knots. Reefing settles down the boat motion considerably, so I like it when he reefs at 20. My brother sails mostly in SF bay, so there is relatively little swell, which makes the boat more stable. I sail out of Santa Cruz, which is on the California coast. In the same wind conditions, with swell, my boat (a Catalina 400) moves a lot more when the swell is up. Therefore I might reef at 20 knots, while in smoother water I might not reef then. I almost always reef at 25 knots, not because the boat is not safe, but for two reasons: relaxing the boat (by reefing) saves wear and tear on the gear (and people). Also, when the wind gets any higher reefing is hard to do. That old saw about if you're thinking about reefing, do it (or do it 1/2 hour before) really holds true for me. Bottom line, I have found the Catalina 36 to be very stable and comfortable in 25 knot winds. Don't have personal experience in winds greater than that on this particular boat.
