What do folk do to avoid being stuck head to wind and how do you recover? I was always told to bear away slightly to maintain boat speed before tacking especially if headed by a shift or if just pointing too high. And once stuck stay sheeted in and rudder hard over and wait until it reverses out. 

Maybe try a slightly looser kicker/ ram /mainsail leech to avoid getting stalled in the tack?

The trick to tacking in high winds is to tack slowly (rudder slows the boat down) to keep momentum. Once you get to the point just before head to wind let the sails out slightly (this takes practice) then let the boat build speed and sheet in again. If its too much of a struggle you should consider being on a lower rig as bigger sail is not always faster. Also you can let the job boom out slightly to help with tacking in a blow. I am sure there are people with alot more experience than me to answer better but this is how l would approach sailing in a strong breeze. 
If you go head to wind. Let sails out and use opposite rudder to turn you onto desired course. Then sheet in but not all the way to build speed and then finally sheet in all the way. Remember in strong gusts if you let the sails out you can accelerate through the gust…

Hope that helps good luck practicing😀

Thanks guys. This isn’t a strong wind thing and is predominantly the df95 fleet that has the issue. I suspect the light weight and lack of boat speed is the problem. I have suggested bearing away to maintain boat speed, overtacking and as you say not sheeting in until up to speed. 

DF’s have unstayed carbon masts, so as you pass through head to wind the mast will unload and cause the leech to tighten.

If not part of a coordinated tack sequence, the lack of weight, tight leech and any waves become a challenge.

Practice and time on the water are the solution.

The standard on dinghys and seems to work on radio yachts is rudder hard over sheet out and get her moving again

I have noticed that in strong wind and big wave Swedish DF sailors will gybe rather than tack.

As an experienced dinghy catamaran sailor in the past, if you get stuck, reverse the helm, and you'll pay off on the other tack when the boat is going astern...