The sky to the west has turned dark grey and the wind has started gusting harder than before. What should the skipper do first?

A. Take this as an early warning and start preparing the boat for stronger wind now, before it arrives — it is much easier and safer to reef (reduce sail) in good time than to wait until it is already blowing hard

B. Sail faster to try and get back to harbour before the weather arrives, ignoring the current sail set

C. Wait until the wind actually increases before doing anything

D. Assume the dark sky means nothing and carry on exactly as before

A. Difficulty steering means the rudder is broken and must be checked immediately

B. Heeling more is exciting and a sign the boat is sailing well — no action is needed

C. The boat should be sailed faster to "power through" the stronger wind

D. The boat has too much sail up for the current wind strength — this is the classic sign that it is time to reef (reduce the size of the sails) to bring the boat back under easy control

A. Try to reef while sailing fast downwind with the sail fully powered up

B. Reef both the mainsail and the jib at exactly the same moment to save time

C. Wait for the strongest gust to reef, since that is when it matters most

D. Head up close to the wind (or heave to) to take the power out of the sails first, making the boat more level and the sail easier and safer to handle. Crew should clip on if conditions are rough. Reef one sail at a time, calmly, following the same steps every time