At the F18 Worlds in Long Beach we had several races where the wave action was bigger than the wind. In those conditions, it was really easy to end up stuck on the backside of a wave going really, really slow. It's almost like the feeling of a powerboat trying to get up on a plane, but instead just sitting with its bow up pushing water. Horrible!

A few things really helped the situation:
1. Coordinated main and spin trim with the wave action. When you get caught on the back of a wave and slow down, your apparent swings aft. You need to ease both main and spin to maintain power and get over the wave. When you crest the wave and accelerate again, a well timed trim will promote surfing and adjust for the apparent which has swung back forward. Both main and kite trim are important.

2. Crew fore and aft position. In waves it is really tempting to just stay in the footstrap and keep the bow up, but that can be really slow. When the boat gets stuck on the back of a wave, moving weight forward to unload the stern is helpful. Taking a step forward on the crest can also promote surfing, but you need to be ready to move back as the bows hit the trough.