You are making one of the classic mistakes when comparing cat to mono sails.

Most always, cat sails will hook, not flatten when sheeted too hard. it is easy to oversheet a cat and make it go slower.

The trick is to know when is too much.

Rick has some good tips on mainsheet handling in his book.



Downhauling on a cat, will bend the mast tip and flatten the top of the sail, spilling the wind. That is why you have a 16:1 downhaul(lucky you), so the crew can pump it during the puffs.