Mark,

people may not like this, but.....

I think to improve we need to spend more time on the water and stop making mistakes (I put myself firmly in this camp). Spi hoists when done well don't loose much in the transition, ditto the drop. But do it wrong and you loose 100's of meters.

Yes there is also more speed to be gained out of the boats with better design and setup, but I also think there is a lot more to be gained out of us.

What direction do we move in design wise ?. Boats are now getting down to weight. I think my longer plates are faster. Someone is playing with Spi halyard routing. My (and your) mainsails look much better for single handing. What's next ? Better Wing masts ? Better hull shapes ? Better sails ? Do we have another large step to take in boat performance?, or will we just chip away at it? I don't know.

But it is fun......