Hi Jerry,

I would like to add my comments on Spinnaker Up High Wind Sailing. My F16 Altered use to be a fat bottomed A class. The first few months of sailing with kite up I found the same nosediving problems you describe as a Taipan problem. Guy's on this Forum kept telling me to keep the mainsheeted tight with the spinnaker up to keep control, but I didn't realise they meant REALY TIGHT!!!!! so I kept easing main out as you would if you didn't have spin. up, result nosediving and dumping kite to save it, have some great photo's that have been on this Forum to prove it..

After watching another F16 sailing comfortably downwind as I struggled I realised, his main was in REAL TIGHT! So now I set main with twist until I am overpowered, then I pull main in tighter so it stalls, at this point the bows just pop up and control is possible. Getting good speed in this mode is very tricky and involves some very rapid bearaways, but survival is the first step and it is definetly possible with this set up.

I hear what you are saying regarding sailboard sails, I am a old sailboarder myself, but I also know there was a limit to depowering sailboard sails eventualy you have to change down a size. The spin. is 17.5 m2 more than ample in 20 kts. so stalling main reduces your sail area. It is better to reduce mainsail drive and keep spin. working as the head of the main drives bows down, the spinnaker lifts bows or at least is neutral. So I believe if you let main twist it keeps the head working, even if you let it out alot as I tried, much better to stall it.

Just my thoughts happy to be proven wrong.

Regards Gary.