a problem in boomless cats that as you hit a gust, you become overpowered and sheet off, this lets the sail get fuller and more powerful and also gives weather helm. [color:"red"] so what you need to do in a gust is sheet IN ! [/color]
YES! You are the first I've heard say this (except for me). It took me about 3 years to realize this. There is a rapid bad sequence of gust, sheet out, fat main, excess heel,rounding up (like weather helm), sheet out more to depower which slows you down, then foot off to regain speed, often driving bows under. This often repeated sequence is low, slow, and the boat hobby-horses causing weather helm and/or a bow stuff. It also makes people hate boomless boats.
Instead, if you sheet IN (or just hold it) and move weight forward, the bows don't stuff, the boat doesn't heel, and you point higher and increase speed. This is NOT pinching. It's faster and the weather helm and tendency to stuff a bow eases off. Steady speed, no excess steering, higher pointing. Eases pucker factor in high wind gusts as well! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> However, it takes balls of steel to NOT sheet out the first few times you try it in a gust.
