There was a thing on TV this morning with Sir Robin Knox Johnson(?). The backbone of his ocean racer broke in the middle of the ocean in the middle of a storm. To take stress off the boat and preven it breaking in two, thousands of mile from shore, he "trailed warp".

You put 600' of 2" rope off the stern, attached to each side, giving a 300' loop of "shock absorber".

Now you know what to do with all your old mainsheets.

btw- the old Hobie literature said you could maintain any leeward course under bare pole. . . if the wind was over 50 knots!!!