A checkpoint on downwind sailing

Saturday was a windy day, and I mounted the GoPro on the bow to have a look specifically at bear aways and downwind sailing - it remains the area that I think needs most improvement in stronger winds.  I've sent the output to Steve Cockerill to see if I can get some Boat Whisperer advice, but in the meantime I thought I'd post up my own analysis.  This is the video, all faffing and upwind/crosswind sailing has been deleted, its just downwind.

I should point out that the wind was coming over the Thorney shoreline, so the water state was quite benign.  But the wind was offshore and very gusty, F4 in the lulls F6 in the gusts.

Some points re the bear aways:
- Not enough hiking in the first half of the bear away.  The trouble is that there is a balance between getting the boat heeled to windward to bear away, and an ability to get back in the boat from a hiked position before it skews away and capsizes to windward.  The centripetal force generated by the turn makes it difficult to get back in.
- Each bear away seems to take forever, with over cautious sheeting and heel.
- On a positive note, I'm getting better at sorting the rig before turning, and getting well back in the boat to get the bow out.
- Another positive note, the manoeuvre looks quite controlled (even though it felt like a knife edge at the time).

And the downwind sailing:
- Some OK transitions from BR->BTL and vice versa
- At times the boat looks very slow sailing BTL, and it might have been better to come up to a BR to get momentum going again.
- 2x capsizes due to the need to bear away excessively to BTL and beyond.  Not sure what I could have done to stop them, hopefully Steve has ideas.
- Finally look to be kicking the 'steer the boat under the mast' habit, there is no footage that sees the bow nose diving or underwater.
- The video seems to make it look as if I have a degree of control.  In the boat it certainly didn't feel that way, it's a very intense experience that requires total concentration.  The psychology books would have described my state as 'highly aroused'.  I would describe my state as 'bricking it' and 'nearly being sick with fear'.  'Highly aroused' doesn't quite cover it.
- I've calibrated the mainsheet, and have marked the position of the 'F5 Knot' to stop the main going too far out downwind (and capsizing the boat to windward).  Seems to work, as I've not capsized to windward for a while.  But the downside is that you can't sheet out loads if the boat wants to head up.  For the moment, I'll take it - the occasional head-up is a good trade for stability.

So lets see what Steve has to say, given his input in the past I've learned to expect the unexpected!