Depowering on a 3 sail Reach

This may sound a silly question, but I'll ask anyway.

Which sail should you dump if you need to depower quickly on a three sail reach in a symetrical spinnaker boat?  main, spinnaker or jib?

Assume this is on estuary waters with a bit of a chop and you get caught by a big gust.

Thanks for any help

Dump the main and bear away as Jim said.

If that doesn't do it or you don't have room to bear away, either flap the kite momentarily or blow the halyard and sheet the foot in if it's going to be a sustained problem.

Never dump the jib - it doesn't help much and the jib is the one sail that seems to keep you going on a reach. Certainly on a 2-sail reach, it's better to oversheet the jib slightly than undersheet it. Not sure why.

dump the kicker first, lifts the boom slightly and reduces the chance of it hitting the water. Then dump main... then jib.. kite last as in most symetric boats its the main driving force. Always sheet it tight and uncleat the halyard though rather than letting it flog its much quicker and a flogging kite seems to have a massive amount of force trying to knock the boat over.

Dump the main and bear away has already been said.  However, if you are struggling to stay level ease more kicker, also lift the centreboard, this helps you to bear away (I have a rule of thumb in breezey weather when reaching - I ease the kicker so I can comfortably control the power with the mainsheet and helm, if I'm underpowered it goes on, if continually easing I let some off).  Its actually the rapid bear away (20+ degrees) that saves the capsize in the really gusty stuff just easing the main and Kite won't be enough in the big gusts.  If we do go past the point of nearly no return either I or crew will dump the kicker completely, sometimes it saves it - but you need it off anyway for righting.

You could also try lowering the pole a few inches as this will flatten the spinnaker slightly.

Originally posted by Jack Sparrow Originally posted by laser193713 A big breakfast usually does the trick What? You always have Chris Evans and Gabby Rosaline onboard?

Is he too young to remember that one? (some forumites wont get it!)