Capt. JG wrote:
It's not always possible to bear off... the boat might not complete the
jibe. The easiest way to bear off the wind is to ease the jib first, then
sail away on the hove-to tack.

I've seen situations where a boat would not bear off with
the jib flying normally and the main trimmed in, but I've
never seen a situation where the boat would not bear off
with the jib backed, although in light air, it might take
a while.

What sort of situations have you found a boat with a backed
jib would not bear off?