Tim -

I've only got a moment to post, but feel it is important to jump in before this goes any further. You have bad information - no teams tuned rigs last year. No tuning has been allowed any of the last seven or eight years for sure, because I was there.

Here's how it works; the Chair and the Beach Captain talk with those who are most knowledgeable about the boats, whatever they are. A tuning range is established, and the boats are put into the middle of that range. No hocus pocus or misdirection. The boats were not "improperly" tuned. They were all set the same - as Jake posted elsewhere, each part of each boat was meticulously measured. The regatta is not about who knows how best to tune a wing mast - it is about who can figure out how to make what they are given go fast. Just about everyone got on that boat for the very first time on Tuesday for the practice race - top three teams included.

Matt's point is (or should be taken to be) that the wing mast and sail combo on the Blade is versatile and highly customizable.