bag the main!
Hi, Have had a lot of experience with overpowered hunters. If the winds that your experiencing are steady at 18 (that's quite a blow), then the only thing you can do is reef the main. If you don't have a reefing system it's not that big a deal to add one. If you're dealing with gusts of 18 then luff the main and let the boat speed build up before sucking it back in to the apparent wind. I think your problems with tacking were resulting from having to much lee helm. You need the main up to give you lift into the wind when comeing around. Too much power in front of the keel isn't going to push the stern around to complete the tack. For that you need weather helm. I'm just a dingy sailor, with a keyboard, but my opinion is that it's a lot more stable to have only the main up, with weather helm, than have excessive lee helm with only the jib flying. One thing is for sure, you don't lack nerve, and that's good! Nothing can teach a skipper more quickly than a stiff breeze on a tender yacht. Skulling the tiller (just a little at first to see what happens) is another way to allow the boat to round up a little to spill wind but pulling it back onto the wind as it accelerates. You can get the feel of this after a little practice and you'll find the sweet spot. It's all a matter of balance. Don't scare your 1st mate! I'll be see you on the H2O, Larry Barnes, 'CNTRL SEA'
