Upwind VMG optimization in 15+ knots

I've been working on my upwind VMG in heavy air and wanted to share some findings. In 15-20 knots of true wind on my J/121, I've found that easing the mainsheet 2-3 inches and adding a touch more backstay tension gives me about 0.3 knots more VMG compared to the 'by the book' settings. The key insight was that in puffy conditions, keeping the boat more upright (even at the cost of some pointing angle) results in better VMG because you maintain consistent speed through the gusts rather than stalling in the lulls. Anyone else have experience with heavy-air VMG optimization?

Great observations Mike. I've found similar results on the J/111 we campaign. One additional technique that works well in puffy conditions is to use the traveler more aggressively rather than the mainsheet. Drop the traveler to leeward in the puffs to depower, then bring it back up in the lulls. This keeps your sail shape more consistent than constantly easing and trimming the main.

On the foiling side, VMG optimization is a completely different ball game. Once you're up on the foils, you actually want to bear away more than you'd think - the increase in boat speed more than compensates for the loss in pointing angle. The sweet spot on the Moth is about 5-7 degrees lower than what feels natural when you're used to displacement sailing.