Watch out for the cliff! Every boat has it, every sailor feels it. Sailing upwind in 15 knots, the boat feels great, dancing across the waves. As you bear off onto a reach, the thrill increases as the boat speed picks up and the waves feel softer. Heading down a bit more, you approach a beam reach, still reveling in the responsive feeling of power at the helm. Usually somewhere just below a beam reach, though, most boats, especially cruising multihulls, reach a performance cliff.
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