Putting your feet in to slow down would not make much difference at the speed we were travelling down the wave. Would be an excellent way to have neoprene boots etc. ripped off methinks. Could be useful if early on the starting line, but I think it's illegal under the rules.

So, what it boils down to is not to get into such a situation. Recognize the wave early, stall out to slow down or head up and hope the wave behind is smaller.
To slow down, sheet the jib for going to windward so it chokes the mainsail when going downwind. Travel the mainsail out and sheet in (perhaps decrease mast rotation and apply downhaul as well). Dont go dead downwind, but keep the apparent at 90deg, better to head up than going downwind with the wrong wave. Opinions differ tough, so I guess there are several different strategies that could work. Going dead downwind with the mainsheet released while "on the wave" is verified to _not_ work, unless you are being filmed and want to give the camera something extra.


Too bad the camera crews was on the inshore course, they could have got some really spectacular photos with the beachcats offshore. We shared course with some largish monohulls and I have seldom seen so many large grins and thumbs up as that day. Btw: Håkan is too modest, he won the nordic Hobie 16 championship that weekend.