Ah yes Bart,

A condition I often experience. Using your engine to get higher on the
wind than your sails will take you.

Sailors sometimes motor sail, as I do, to get running time on the
engine. When you are doing this, why not get to windward as much a
possible while using the engine. When you shutdown the engine your
up-wind work is behind you and the sailing is free, easy and quite.

Luffing slightly reduces resistance to a higher heading. If working
directly into the wind and tacking, you work higher using the motor to
get better wind angle on the next tack

Ole Thom