Hi Rolf

good topic ,
Think many new catsailors get used to luffing the boat up into the wind direction going to windward and close reaching .-Many then continue this luff UP reaction when sailing downwind .
The most difficult aspect for catsailors new to the spin is getting accustom to bearing OFF the wind in gusts .

Realizing exactly where the wind is and how it is flowing across the sails and understanding when to bear of or head up ,-this transition from flow direction is key to staying upright ,-as we all do in rounding C mark .
Earlier posters had difficulty with this in higher winds for this reason ,-the transition and power increase .
Sailing down-wind the sails are slightly stalled which reduces force on them ,-as we head up to the new course we are heating it up momentarily until we reach the opposite upwind mode of luffing up inside the wind direction again .
Keeping maximum speed through this transition and out on the wire are important ,understanding -moment,- boat speed ,-wind direction ,-the stuff of sailing ,--sailing well ,--we all learn by trial and error ,we all take some lumps in doing so , its part of the sport .

One thing you have with the T CAT DESIGN IS AN EXTREMELY WELL DESIGNED CRAFT , BUT --it was designed originaly with a pin top main sail with less sail area and no spin .
The very fine bow sections as orginally designed allow the T to slice through chop and small waves . NOW the added power of the new rig will power those fine sectioned low volume bows into waves and will keep going .Someting the original design did not antisipate ,--a larger sq top main and spin the added forces from them .
We see most new spin rigged designs with much more volume forward . The T is ONE OF the most competitively raced class at the top levels so excellent technique and boat tuning modifications set up for higher winds and seas will compensate ,-trap locations of crew ,-sailing more downwind angle with spin ,-depowering the main ,-etc.
The spin does help provide some lift downwind but also increases speed off the backs of waves and into the next .
Steering through very confused seas with irregular patterns or crosswaves with tidal current while maintaining this awareness of wind angle becomes the task that top skippers have {almost } mastered .

Evan the top Worrell -Tybee teams still flip ,--sometimes numerous times in a leg of the race .
Safety lines to keep the crew in place on the wire and footstraps are a must have in these conditions .

It is some of the most fun you can have on a cat ,-strapped in trapped off the back ,shute up ,--surfing down and flying off the back of big waves ,
-especially exciting at night .



Have fun
Carl