I think they are both closing on the A-mark and matt appears to be steering towards it and dumping some main in order to not let the luff hull fly to high. Jennifer appears to be pointing higher indeed.

Glenn Ashby says in the now famous catsailing DVD that he sails with 250 to 300 mm twist in pretty much all conditions. I notice that while is looks strange that the boat speeds up when adding about that much twist. I'm probably still oversheeting my main but I'm getting there.

And both Jennifer and Matt are lightweights (65 kg and about 70 kg). They can probably trap when I'm (at 85 kg) are still in.

They large amount of twist in the squaretops sails has to do with tip cortex drag. If the angle of attack of the top part of the sail is to great than you create alot of sucking and pressure across the sail this feels like power and keeps you out on the trap. HOWEVER the vicinity of the top of the sail allows air from the overpressure zone to circle over the squaretop to the underpressure zone, creating what is called a tip vortex. This is felt like drag. So by sheeting in can can lift the boat but only at the expense of disproportionally amount of extra drag. The boat feels bound up then. Now by either sheeting up or using your downhaul you can open the upper leech and have the top twist away. This results in less heeling force but also in alot less drag. The net result is more drive to propel the boat.

The Aussie Taipan sailors webpage mentions that the 4.9 needs to be sailed for speed all the time and this addagio hold true for the F16's. Don't sheet the main to keep you out but rather sheet is ONLY to maximize speed. It may well be that you'll be sitting while all others are trapping on other boats. But despite that your speed will be better.

I found this again last sunday. Like I said I'm still an oversheeter

Wouter