Beam to Broad Reach, weather helm

[pagoda]

Could you say a bit more about timing and letting the bow come up?

I tend to sail quite upright, reefed early, traveller down, as my kids (typical crew) all dinghy sailors, don't like heeling too much! My question was driven by the slight sense of loss of control sometimes expierienced coming around headlands and feeling as if I am being sucked in to the shore as I am trying to bear away from a beam reach. Never felt really dangerous, just enough to raise my heart rate a little and make me think I need to get a better handle on this! (On reflection, not Lee shores just feeling like it).

I sail both dinghies (420 and RS Vareo) and a 35ft Jeanneau . I have no great problem swapping back and forth. The 420 and yacht are Bermudan rig, with variations on balance between main/jib and helm loads. On a dinghy you have the choice (if not racing) of bearing away DEEP in a gust, or luffing up rather a lot. The former requires more planning than effort. Luffing up, unplanned, can be exciting. Ditto at 35 ft and most of 5 tons. I would always ease the main promptly as that robs the jib of power as you bear away, giving you a short breather. Ease the jib as you head off the wind until it pulls steady again. Don't mess about, but do it all fairly pronto. You will always pick up speed as you bear away, easing the main, and it will feel much better all round once the jib is pulling steadily again. Just think about the amount of leverage generated forward or aft of your mast, pivoted about your keel. And where your rudder is...