When you sail downwind with the Hobie 16 in high winds you should NEWER sail dead downwind, you are dead meat in that situation. You should always have the wind at 90 deg so you can depower. If you sail dead downwind you can't depower. When you release so much mainsheet that the mainsail hit the shrouds you are out of control.
We had several situation where we where surfing down the waves and started to stuff the bow but since we had the wind at 90 deg we could depower and control the situation.
/håkan
I sail on a lake usually so I have no experience with this at least on catamarans. So do you tack on the downwind leg? or wait to gybe at just the right moment while on the backside of a wave?
Do people ever carry a small sea anchor or something like that attached to the back of the tramp ready to deploy and slow you down if you get in trouble during these sorts of conditions?
