The problem (IMHO) is that it is another line to get in the way of all sorts of other things. And it will be in the way all the time, not just when gibing.
My thought is that in under 20 knots (*) of breeze, it's an option to steer DDW, center the main (sheet and traveler), gibe the front half of the boat, then let the main out on the new gibe as you come up to course. Might be a bit slower, but you're in control of the main the whole way.
(* don't use this approach if you are in enough breeze that a centered main could cause you to round-up mid gibe)
^This is pretty much what we do when cruising along, but we are pretty well loaded up when racing.
We are doublehanding while racing to improve our boat handling and working together under stressed conditions. So we have to do a little dance with the spinnaker work to maximize our respective strengths and to improve skills. We are very conservative on mark roundings and will actually delay hoisting our spinnaker to let the other boats clear out. I'm fine with close quarter work in a crowd rounding the mark, our boat handles like a big dinghy. But I try to let the serious guys do their thing.
We switched roles recently to let Lisa get some foredeck work. The spinnaker up and down was always a mystery to her, so she wanted to get some time up there. This is my preferred method as I have the ability to manage the boat, main and the spinnaker sheet all at the same time. Well, not the same exact time, but close enough. Lisa struggles with all that and having the strength to move things around when loaded. She hoists the spinnaker in the sock, waits for my okay, hoists the sock and runs back to cleat the sock line on the way to the cockpit to start trimming. Sometimes she has to roll up the genoa if I didn't get to it.
On the gybe we have another dance. I take the spin sheet, Lisa trims the mainsheet as much as she can without rounding up the boat and then takes the helm. She'll initiate the gybe and I'll pull the spinnaker through to the other side. She never had the strength to get it all the way through. Usually the spinnaker is retrimmed and we are on our new heading before the main comes across. Sometimes the main is trimmed way too tight, so we have a quick change of positions so I can manage the wheel and ease the main as quickly as possible. The boat is usually rounding up fast so the helm is hard, the mainsheet is hard and Lisa is begging me to hurry to get the traveller down because the spinnaker is now loading up. This all happens fast and it is equally fast to unload everything. That last part is what I am trying to avoid.
On the douse, I'll take the spin sheet, Lisa pulls out the headsail and goes forward to pull down the sock. Sometimes the socked spinnaker is loaded up pretty good and always outside the headsail. We swap positions again, she drives and I horse the sock around or under the headsail and get it into the hatch while she tails the halyard. Lisa is not super comfortable driving during that transition, so she prefers going forward to pull down the sock. It is a lot of load for her, but it is well within her abilities.
So, that sounds like a lot of work for two people, but that is what it takes to get a 20,000lb boat around a race course with just two people with unmatched skills. We've tried several other crew position combinations, so far this is the one that works. I've watched some videos to see the boom brake in action, I think it might work. If it does, the extra line would be worth the trouble.
As a side, this is all distance course racing, no windward leewards. We couldn't sustain that level of activity!
Chris
