Questions about higher wind speeds

No doubt it was very hard to control by the traveler, you must be quite strong to play that line for long. Main sheet and turning the boat up into the wind will control it. Once you get the feel for it you can fly a hull for as long as you wish.

I've been out in higher and higher wind speeds since that first capsize. I was out today in 15 sustained, 25mph gusts and it was a blast! Wind was coming all the way down the lake length-wise so the waves were about 4' where I was which made it that much more fun upwind. Really wet and some entertaining air time.

I found that even with the sail really hauled in, (just leaving the main setup to reach like I often do on lazier days was simply not an option) I would fail to tack about 1/4 of the time. Couldn't even get the wind on the old leeward side of the jib to let it backwind. As soon as the sails weren't making lift it was as though someone hit the brakes. I was careful not to put the rudders hard over, I tried a few angles (smoother and a bit more aggressive.) It seemed like I was more at the mercy of the waves but the period wasn't quite large enough to make it obvious how to utilize them.

Any thoughts on this? I thought backwinding the jib was the silver bullet, and it was for me... right up until about 20mph worth of wind.

You are overpowered, you need to furl the jib in those winds if solo.

You need boatspeed to get through the tack. Are you tacking from out on the wire, or are you just sitting on the hull? Tacking from wire-to-wire gives you the highest chance of getting through the tack in a breeze because you will be sailing fast and sheeted in tight. But if you're not used to doing that, you run the risk of capsizing.

The most important things are to get up a good bit of speed, and be sheeted in. You can even sheet in the main tighter as you enter the turn. The mistake that many beginners make is that the first thing they do to start the tack is to ease the mainsheet. You can get away with doing this on a monohull or keel boat, but on a light weight cat, you'll never get through the tack if you ease the main too soon. You have to keep the main sheeted in tight and travelled in as close as possible until the instant the main gets head to wind. Then instantly let out about three feet of sheet to allow the bows to continue to turn. Success is all a matter of timing.

If you blow the tack, immediately reverse the rudders and push the sail out to back the boat around and do a K-turn.

sm

Tacking in high winds takes really good timing of sail trim, boat speed, and proper distribution of your weight.

Sail trim: What srm said.

Boat speed: You need momentum to coast through head to wind, so be careful not to use too much rudder, aka "the brakes". You'll need enough rudder to turn but not so much to slow down the boat too much.

Weight: Do not go to the other side of the boat before the jib has back winded, and no further than the center of the boat. Too much weight on the outside hull carving the widest turn will slow it down and you'll lose momentum.

Sometimes you just can't get through the tack and a high wind gybe may be necessary, which is a whole different discussion topic.

Yeah I did a few fairly uneventful gybes when it was really blowing and the leeshore was looming. I suspect I need to work on really hauling the main in as I turn. I was trying to complete the tack, first from a reach without sheeting in, and later close hauled but, of course, with a lot less speed. Close hauled had a much higher success rate and I imagine coming into that point of sail with some extra speed from a reach might be enough to make the maneuver more consistent.