N1EE wrote:
What do some sailboat racers throw overboard
just before the leeward mark?

The tail of the spinnaker halyard.

Bart, you may be showing your age (and mine) here. This was failry
common about 40 years ago, and I don't recall seeing anybody do it for
about 20. The idea was to shake the tangle out and control the speed of
the douse.

Fresh Breezes
Doug King