Goose,

Exlain please a little bit more: uncleated closehauled???????

I sail cats already 25 years and I never ever do this on the wire uncleated (both the main and the jib). The only cat which I sailed uncleated was the very old spanish Patin-a-bela which has no rudders and you have to steer with the point of effort in the sail and the point of lateral resistance of the hulls.

Has this to do with the fact that I never sail regatta's ?

Just like Jeff I have adjusted the mainsheet block in such a way that I can cleat and uncleat on the wire. And that adjustment is a bit tricky to find because the uncleating has to go problemless and quick. By some law of the devil is in that position the cleating never not so effortless anymore!

Gusty conditions, closehauled,reaching or what ever conditions, broaching like a yacht (and turning automatically in the wind) is not a outspoken habit of a cat. Instead of that there is the catapult over the leewardhull !

So that needs a steering reflex from the helmsman.

I would say that's on a millisecond base more important then uncleating the main. But doing both is ofcourse the goal.

Its like making a emergency stop on a motorbike: you grab for the forbreakhandle, turning automatically your throttle down and stamp at the same moment on your rearbrake pedal. But if you do it right you hit the rearbrake just before the frontbreak.

P.S. Like Jeff I have also problems with my tendons, so my cleats are my savers.

ronald