Mates: Would you like to get better performance on your downwind leg? Of course you would. You say your only a cruiser and not a racer but wouldn't you like to get to your destination a little quicker? How many sailors do you know that brag that the last trip to Catalina took 4 hours but this one took 6 hours!! Unfortunately, there is not a lot published about downwind sailing but I think I have compiled most of it. When racing, I like the downwind leg because most racer sail dead downwind directly to the mark, which is not very efficient and they are vulnerable. That is also the time they break out the sanwiches and beer and relax. I, on the other hand, go to work on that leg and generally I can pick off at least 2 boats before they even know what hit them. Our good friends at Sailboatowners.com have published an article I wrote on the subject of downwind and they are providing it to you FREE. All you have to do is go to the reference section of the Sail Trim Forum and print it off. The next time your sailing downwind, try some of the principles I outline and see if they work for you.