Sailing a spin boat (with Spin hoisted) is a little counter intuitive to the new sailor.

One thinks that going slow is "safe" ... but it is not. You need to keep maximum boat speed to minimize the differential between your boats apparent wind and the upcoming gusts.

Example:

Let's say the wind is blowing at 15k gusting to 23k. If you go slow and only achieve 8-9k the difference between your boat speed and the upcoming gust is 14-15k (additional) on your sail plan.

On the other hand, if you achieve 15-17k then the differential between your boat speed and the upcoming gust is 6-8k -- alot more manageable.