Over powered or angle of attack...
When I first started I had a tendency to keep my boom too close to the center line and my jib sheets too tight on a beam reach. That's a recipe for excessive heel! Here is a nifty simulator on National Geographic's web site that might help you get a feel for where the boom should be. In the real world: 1st - ease the jib sheets and trim them with an eye on the tell tales... 2nd - ease the traveler & flatten the sail with your vang and trim her with an eye on her tell tales with the main sheet. If you are then still over powered it is indeed time to heave to and throw in a reef on the main then repeat steps 1 and 2. Try and find a trim/sail combination that keeps you heeled around 15 degrees or so and you will be flying as fast as you can with the given wind.
When I first started I had a tendency to keep my boom too close to the center line and my jib sheets too tight on a beam reach. That's a recipe for excessive heel! Here is a nifty simulator on National Geographic's web site that might help you get a feel for where the boom should be. In the real world: 1st - ease the jib sheets and trim them with an eye on the tell tales... 2nd - ease the traveler & flatten the sail with your vang and trim her with an eye on her tell tales with the main sheet. If you are then still over powered it is indeed time to heave to and throw in a reef on the main then repeat steps 1 and 2. Try and find a trim/sail combination that keeps you heeled around 15 degrees or so and you will be flying as fast as you can with the given wind.