Oceangirl and JomsViking:
From the JSD website:
3. A sea
anchor cannot be designed to protect the boat. When tethered from the bow, the boat will yaw and develop unacceptable loads. The reason for this is that all boats must be designed to be directionally stable when moving forward - or it would not be possible to steer the boat. Therefore, if moving backwards, the boat will be unstable and will yaw and turn broadside to the sea.
Makes sense to me. Same idea as stern anchoring, no?
Dare I say center of areodynamic resistance is best downwind of the center of hydrodynamic resistance? All ducks in a row.
The reverse: boat lashing to and fro? And if one of the fros coincides with a drop or surf off the crest, big loads no?
Hoo boy. I will shut up now.