You will have to come in at some point, and to try to 1. ease the traveler then, 2. turn downwind, 3. ease the mainsheet but only a little and 4. set the kite, all while being out on the wire, it's a bit much.

As soon as you get it turned downwind, you are going to go Splash if you are out on the wire anyway, so you want to be coming in as, or just before, you turn down.

I have always found that dropping the travler way out -first-, then turn, is the quickest way to get it to turn downwind without putting too much pressure on the low hull towards a stuff, or too much drag on the rudders to slow you down.

The trick is to come in off the wire, turn and ease the traveler out smoothly, so you keep your speed up, and even accelerate, keep your weight back so the bows stay up. Do it on two hulls if it's blowing.

Once you are pointed downwind, any gusts will just make you go faster as long as you continue to bear way off in the gusts.

Remember, if it's blowing 20 and you are going 15 downwind, the apparant wind is only 5, that's when I raise the spinn, after accelerating to 15 downwind, after turning. It's all easier said than done... <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />