Funny, you say that. When asked I always reply that a (F16) skipper should already be bearing off BEFORE the gust hits and heading up again BEFORE the gust ends. You have to be 1 or 2 seconds ahead in time; but still be smooth about it (S-curves).

So yes "agressive" as in be quick to start your action but not in the way you execute it.

I also believe F16's are much like landyachts in this respect. Pressure and speed are everything. Losing either can get you into trouble. Having speed can get you out of it. How, well try this once. When you have ample speed under spi, lift your lift hull gentle and then bare off hard while still having alot of boat speed. What happens then ? On my boat the bows stay out but the luff hull slams down. I think that I'm using that momentum to surpress the hull during the onslaught of a gust and then have my new lower course handle the main body of the gust. I then use the opposite momentum to head-up in the gust when it is starting to wind down and have my new higher course handle the lull. I find that if you can perfect this then you can drive the boat hard, fast and deep. Currently I can personally only do that when sitting or hiking out. On landyachts you actually use this cornering (centrifugal force) to keep your car from tipping over. I do that relatively often so maybe I learned it there. Come to think of it, I first learned in on the 49-er skiff as you absolutely need that trick there (even upwind) or be over all the time.

So indeed, as you say, you got to hunt that apparent wind fully (aggressively ?).

Wouter