Sunday worked out well for my testing and practice maneuvers for emergency depowering at sea. I was in wind so high that it required maximum flattening of the main (main only) when sailing upwind. I reached speeds in excess of 9 knots upwind. I had little difficulty dousing the main and tying down on deck. I did learn not to let the halyard slop around. (seems I've done this once before also)

The halyard wrapped around the spin halyard block on the front of the mast and I had to to to the bows four times in the process of untangling it. I never came close to falling from the boat, nor capsizing. I am working very smartly and keeping myself tied to the boat at all times when doing such stunts. The sail is never allowed to be untied from the boat by at least one line at some point on the sail. A capsize at any time would have been SoloRight recoverable.

The seas were choppy and that makes for good practice at frustrating conditions. Everything went real well except for the gps not recording my hauling butt broad reach down the main channel. I've got to do the loose battery fix in my gps to prevent these accidental shutdowns.

Upwind I outpointed all the Monohulls and seem to have made 45º off true wind progress, AFTER side slip and other losses.

Sailing under mast alone gave me a couple of knots of speed and felt extremely manageable. Deploying the jib gave some power and I could hardly believe the gps when I saw that I was maintaining speeds of well over 4 knots because it hardly felt as though I was moving. This because of all the choppy seas. But the jib certainly improved the feeling of controllability of steerage. Steering was very responsive.

The boat stayed perfectly flat and I could have probably sat on the lee side if it would have been necessary for any strange reason.

After powering up I was easily able to maintain excess of 13 knots without even getting out on the wire. After all the exercises I had put myself through, I was not in a mood to push the envelope. I was fairly certain that the only way to keep myself from a capsize was to not tempt myself to push the envelope. You can't push it as far when not on the wire, so I stayed off of the wire. 19+ knots should have been easily attainable, but in steep choppy seas you take a real hosing when pushing that hard.

It was a great day of solo sailing on the Santa Monica Bay and I found myself wearing only a T shirt and swim Trunks when I gave Whisk her bath.
Track Data Attached, use "attachment" link above.
GARY