if you don't mind i'd like to sort of ask/review the techniques for once you are sailing w/spi up in highwinds.
you may be out on the wire, if you are you have at least 1 foot strap and you may be hooked into a preventer/chickenline, you are prolly not flying a hull fulltime, the mainsheet and traveler are cleated off, you are hand holding the spi sheet in 1 hand and steering with the other.
before you got there you had to set the boards, downhaul,and mast rotation besides setting the spi.
sounds like quite a challenging ride if this is accurate.