Jules,

We sail heavy on my boat, around 350 lbs. I rarely ever have my crew on the wire, because I weigh 220, and she is a little timid when the winds "scream". In West Texas, we sail winds of 25+ knots frequently, so I have a lot of experience.

I agree with what everyone's advice.

Here is what I do:

I rarely ever travel out very far--6 to 8 inches on the main and 2 to 3 inches on the jib. I try to keep my travelers as close to the centerline as possible. It is critical that you tighten your jib halyard and downhaul as much as possible. The jib halyard keeps the angle of entry of your jib as straight and as flat as possible. If your jib sags, it cups...this catches the wind, and will dump you over. The downhaul on the main helps flatten the sail...depowers the sail.

The big trick is learning how to drive off a little (accelerate) before a gust hits, then pinching up with the gust to take the bite out of the gust. Once you learn how to depower your rig, the rest is helmsmanship. Good crew is critical in tacking and helping manage your jib.

Now that I said we sail heavy. I often sail my boat in extreme winds solo. I will travel my jib out further, because I have a hard time working both sails. Tacking is a bear solo, but it can be done.

Keep on practicing,
Young people have the advantage of quick reflexes and agility,

David