hi

quote>{3", the mainsheet was sheeted pretty hard, }

Sounds like oversheeting ,-the most common mistake catsailors make .

Wind slows considerabley and is very different at the lower portions of the sail in comparison to the upper .
Some twist in the upper area is required ,
try adding some added telltails and practise with these ,
add some along the leach as well ,-get them flowing.
You will find the only way to achieve this is to sheet out and allow twist ,--When any oversheet the sail in tight it causes partial stall ,--that is the air seperates from the sail earlier and causes eddies and drag off the leeward side and trailing portion sooner.

Superior C Class solid wings sails have been built to induce twist as example, and proved to be faster than the non twist type .

Watch the very best helming any uni , they never oversheet and always keep the leeward side in flow and pull away from the fleet .
It takes some disipline ,your insticts are to sheet in to go faster ,-but take a deep breath ,relax in those situations and really tune into the wind and feel of the boat , let it sail free loose and fast with a very light feeling on the helm and as little rudder movement as possible ,-just as in any stick -ball type sport ,Hockey etc -soft hands ,particularly reaching , not cranked in tight or jerky motions which slow you down .

practise --actual racing ,-and the desire to learn are the key things ,-so your already 75% there ,
,- be sure to have fun with it all too .

hope that's helpfull