Jake, thats the feeling Im getting also. If you cant tell when that chute fires up, theres something else going on. I think that the tells may have ben flowing so crew thought the chute was running, but it was still stalling. I told him " when in doubt, let it out". I think he was still stalling the sail.
Once the sail woild start to run,the luff would fold up, so I guess he needed to sheet it in faster. We were racing with non spin and they would just about keep up unless I really heated it up by going way high. Then we had other problems, like swating dolphins with the tip of the mast.

I have never crewed for anyone on a cat before, and I dont know many people here that I would trust with my tiller, or that are experienced whatsoever with headsails in these parts.

Lee, I sent Matt an invitation to skipper/crew for the RPC regatta over this last weekend, never got a response. I think he may be the only person that I would trust to skip and show me the ropes here in the valley. I beleive that the last time he was on a cat was when he did the "Border Run" two years ago on his Tiger.(and left us in the dust.) Thought he may want to get his eye sockets wet again.
There may be one other person that I sail with on a regular basis that may be able to handle the boat, but he is not experienced with a chute.
I think this will turn out to be a case of needing to get the same experienced person on the boat repeatedly so that I can figure this bad boy out.