Thanks for your comments. I understand there are differences in opinion on many issues but I have leaned from and respect the views of the prior posters (as well as your many insightful posts). I'd like to discuss any differences in opionion constructively.
I'll look into the mast height vs spi pole lengths to see if this contributed to the problem. I had actually thought they were fairly comparable but not sure of this. Your point regarding the moveable CE and how this can be address with a "shared lift" approach sounds innovative. The comparison I mentioned was between conventional daggerboard catamarans. But you do raise a related question: the majority of cats being sailed don't attempt to compensate for a spi induced forward movement of the CE; in fact, going downwind they usually raise their daggerboards moving the CLR even further aft in relation to forward moving CE.
Two questions: 1) Althogh they have some lee helm as a result I've not heard spi sailors complain about this so why is it a problem? 2) As catamarans sail fast downwind and are headed by their own apparent wind does their "spi migrated" CE shift aft somewhat as a result reducing the effect on lee helm? I've read on windsurfers in high apparent wind conditions and/or gusts the sail shape can change moving the CE aft even on their battened sails.
