Bethwaite describes the difference as a choice between tactics and strategy.

With a slow boat... you can't get to more wind... so you worry alot about your tactical relationship with the guy close to you...

When you are in a high performance boat sailing on apparant wind. it becomes a strategic game.... He who solves the problem and gets to more pressure first will win. Tactics come into play at the marks.

What really makes no sense is all of that "hiking"... those Contendor sailors have the right idea... get a trap... screw the laser when you want to play a tactical game.