More heavy air downwind tips

Depower the chute:
- Twings on
- 1 or 2 crew to leeward
- clamp down on the chute - overtrim.
- pole forward some - maybe a foot on the J24 ?
- leave the vang on to drive the boat upwind. (think about it ...if you let it off to prevent a round up, wouldn't you want to do the oppsite for a round down ?)

If you're chasing the chute downwind, it's going to be a matter of time before you crash - don't let the clew of the chute near the headstay ... Stablize that puppy and come up slightly to keep the boat from rocking, then work down again until you start to feel uncomfortable -- then start the process again. If you keep the boat on a plane, the less likely you're gonna crash. Once the boat stops planing, come up, because the rig is loading up and you're gonna get more unstable.

Once your rudder hits the air, there isn't much you can do, except bend over and kiss you ass goodbye I'd do everything you can to get the pole out of the water (release the guy, downhaul). I've seen more than one rig come down from the pressure of the pole on the ring at the mast.