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"blow the main" or release it - is good advice - OR depending upon how fast you need to react - just pinching the boat to windward (so you are almost in irons) works fine too - i have done that when winds have gusted to 25-30 knots (when they were at 18-20kts steady) and pinching to windward worked for me.
re reefing - the old saying goes - reef BEFORE you leave port - but that is only when 1) you know its a BLOW; 2) winds are very gusty; 3) you aniticpate heavy weather.
dont feel bad about what happened - its part of the learning experience.
Other point to learn as someone mentioned above - when you see whitecaps - it means the winds are picking up in that area. As such - you need to pay attention and be prepared. Also, you may want to determine if that area of the lake tends to get puffy during certain wind/weather situations.
Where I sail in long island sound, there are a few spots where I know the wind or waves become tricky under certain circumstances. So I try to be prepared.
Best advice - GO OUT AGAIN TOMORROW!
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