Call me suicidal but please help!!!

Getting back to righting skiff type boats, perhaps my experience in the 4000 will help.

The big roach of the mainsail means you have to ease the kicker otherwise you are trying to scoop up tons of water.

The hull is unstable so its no good trying to get it head to wind.  Accept that you are going to have to right it with the mast pointing into the wind and hence it is likely to blow right over unless you use the RYA scoop method of righting where the crew is in the water and is scooped up and into the boat as the boat rights.

The helm must get into the boat as it rights, so that you can bear away onto a reach immediately - otherwise it will luff and then you are head-to-wind and very vulnerable to gust or just plain falling over anyway.

If the crew or helm are not in the boat after a righting then you have to continue to control the boat whilst they clamber aboard.  You can't put the boat head-to-wind.  They must come aboard on the windward side or windward side off the transom whilst the boat is inching forwards to maintain steerage and remember it is possible to heel the boat to windward to make this easier for them.

I hate to say it but "Call me suicidal ...." has a ring of truth about it now.  I could also point out that I said much earlier in this thread that these boats don't have stability - so its certainly not a good idea to try and get it head to wind.

I have met so many people who have sailed these sorts of boats in benign environments and then when the going gets tough just can't hack it.  Now that sounds like I'm gloating.  I'm not, its now that some people persevere and learn and some people drop out.  When I started I capsized and capsized but I'm glad I kept at it because now I can enjoy the high speeds these boats go.

Good luck Suicidal you have reached crunch time I hope you get through it.