[Rhodes22-list] Sailing Technique Question

[mputnam1 at aol.com]

A basic sailing technique question:
 
When sailing in 15 knot winds with 20 knot gusts last Sunday (I was sailing faily close to the wind), I found the boat heeled quite a bit on the gusts.  I expected this given what I know about the R-22, but I wanted to know if you all thought the best course of action was to: 
 
a) turn into the wind a little more when the gust hits and leave the jib and main sheeted where they are;
 
b) try and let out the main or jib a little when the gust hits, even though there's not much time to react and the boat could be well-heeled over by the time I am able to let out either sail; or
 
c) sail with the main a little more let out than the jib to control heeling before gusts ever hit.  This is what a sailing instructor recently told me, but that seems a little odd to me.
 
I know some of you love to bury the rail, but I'm not at that point yet ... count me as someone who likes my boat to sail a little more towards level.
 
I learned how to sail on smaller craft like Lasers where I held the sheet in my hand and when the gusts hit, I'd just let it out a little.  With the jib sheet cleated on the R-22 and a little more out of reach, I'm not sure what the best approach would be ...
 
Thanks in advance,
 
- Mark P.
 
P.S. Ed, I'll confess, I didn't check the archives on this.  I wanted to get a quick email out while at work ... so please forgive me.
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