Bermudan BRE
Was out with a group in really gusty conditions and dropped from reef 2 to mizzen and jib.
The boat feels wrong with no drive: upwind sailing course made good is barely beam to the wind. ...
Different sailors get different results. My own result is that 30 kts of wind and tacking up with VMG > 2 kts. is no problem for a singlehander
IF:
* ballast tank is full to the rim, and
* the boat has a Gunter rig,
* with two properly done reefs and flattening in, and
* the boat has the self-tacking jib
* with the jib well flattened, and
* the boat has a flattened Mizzen sail
* with the improved sheeting system, and
* centreboard is adjusted for near neutral helm, and
* if the helmsman knows his stuff to keep the speed up rather than squeezing for windward angle.
But, I really cannot speak for boats with the USA (Bermudian) rig. I never use mine. I bought one but found it to be rubbish, introduced for mass-market left handed US customers who do not know sh... about Gunter rig handling, and which is a treachery to the "Raid" ethos, part of which is unstepping and stepping the rig in a jiffy for rowing stretches and for shooting bridges.
While I cannot find fault with the heavy weather sailing performance of my BRs, I must admit that sailing a BR or BRE in heavy conditions -with the ballast tank full- is a very wet affair. That is not so nice, but the rest is OK, and much better than what I had with my Drascombes (5), except for the Drifter.
Claus Riepe