You are caught out on a coastal passage as a front arrives and the sea builds astern. Why is running before a steep following sea the most dangerous point of sail for a small craft, and what should the skipper do about it?

1. The boat can be picked up by a crest and driven to broach or pitchpole; reduce speed with a drogue or warps streamed astern, steer actively to keep the stern square to the seas, shift weight aft of amidships, and close every hatch and washboard
2. Running downwind is always the safest point of sail, so no precaution is needed
3. Increase speed to the maximum so as to outrun each wave before it reaches the stern
4. Turn beam-on to the seas and lie stopped, since a boat is most stable across the waves