Actually, at 45 degrees, the sail is spilling a lot of the wind, which
tends to reduce further heeling.
The Potters carry less sail for their size than most round hull boats,
which are usually designed with racing in mind.
I once asked Jerry Barrilleaux if he had ever capsized his P14, and his
reply was, "I never let it go that far." I hadn't thought about it like
that before, but I guess that has been my technique also, and I've kept my
old P14 rightside up, so far, for 29 years.
If you are heeling more than 10 or 15 degrees in the Potter, you are losing
efficiency and it's time to retrim sails or reef. The hard chine Potter is
designed to be sailed essentially upright, a feature that is appreciated by
many, as opposed to the "tippiness" of round-hulled sailboats that heel
(alarmingly to a beginner) to each little gust.
Sailing with the deck at 45 degrees to the horizon can be fun in a round
hull boat but is not comfortable, nor is it reassuring to first time
passengers, who are likely to feel that they are going to fall out of the
cockpit.
It's true that the hard chined hull will reach a point of no return, while
a round hull might knock down to 90 degrees then bob back up. But if you
sail a Potter upright as it is intended, there is a margin of safety for
the unexpected big gust and/or windshift. On one or two occasions, on a
lake with fluky winds, I've been knocked over by a gust or windshift to
what felt like at least 60 degrees. All I could do was throw my weight to
windward and the tiller to leeward, and the P14 just rounded up gracefully
and righted herself without taking in any water.
Both round hulls and hard chines have their advantages and disadvantages,
and each requires a different technique.
Harry Gordon
P14 #234, Manatee
Mountain View, CA