First time I have been back on the forum for a long time. Not sure why, but things move on I suppose. I was interested in Peter's revival of this thread, which I started a long time ago. I am a fan of the mizzen, for many of the reasons discussed. My favourite use, apart from just standing at the back and leaning against it on a gentle reach, is getting away from a near shore anchorage single handed. I often anchor just off the beach either inside or outside Poole Harbour. Regardless of wind direction, when I haul up the anchor, the impetuous of pulling in the anchor quickly, which you need to do on your own, seems to set me sailing straight for the beach. I have had near leeshore disasters on several occasions. I've discovered that if I set the main, not too hard, and set the mizzen, pulled right over to the appropriate side, when the anchor comes up, the mizzen stops the boat and then pushes the back around so that the main just catches the wind and sails me off as I clamber back to the cockpit. The tricky bit is judging the "appropriate side" which I always have to think hard about. Get it wrong and you're on the beach. Get it right, and you will have a very smooth departure.