David,
Don't forget all the Alter Cup boats were set up the same no matter what the crew weight.
If they had been allowed to tweak the rig (spreader rake and diamond tension) you would have seen the guys that got the rig right would have been the faster.

I know that the voices in my head aint real,
but they have some pretty good ideas.
There is no such thing as a quick fix and I've never had free lunch!