My Formula for Sailing Close-Hauled When the Wind Picks Up

At first it seems like the slightest puff of wind on these Martins heels them way over so that you are burying the rail but it takes just a little bit of experimenting to get a little more forward motion out of it with less of it's tendency to stand on its ear.

Here's the formula that seems to work for me...

1. Set the jib car so that when you haul in on the jib sheet - the clew is touching the fair-lead block. 
2. Harden the outhaul and the cunningham on the mainsail.
3. Move the traveller all the way to leeward. 
4. Crank in the main sheet (this also tends to "tighten" the forestay).

Steer via the ticklers on the jib. You can see them best if you are sitting up on the rail,  forward of the tiller end.

Using these steps you have in effect flattened out the sails (reducing the draft or belly in them) thus minimizing the heel (well reducing it anyhow).

I found that as the wind gets to 12 knots or more that the boat kinda hangs in the ol' close-hauled groove as long as you pay attention to your steering. As the wind picks up more you can let that inner-tickler on the jib go to 45 degrees upward then finally as the wind goes even stronger you can let it go vertical as you steer to get the max from this point of sail.

Oh, and of course you can point higher during the gusts using this same set of trim elements although for all of this close-hauled action its a good idea to keep a hand on the main sheet so you can ease it if there comes an overpowering gust.

So - go ahead and try it out - maybe there are some from tricks you've developed from your own experience that can let us all optimize boat speed as we become masters-of-the-martins.