1. Mast rake can have dramatic effect on some boats. You need to balance rake to crew weight and wind strength.

2. Toe-in, meaning the trailing edges are farther apart than the leading edges, is commonly recommended for the H16. I've always run at the recommended toe-in for my H16 (1/8 inch), so I can't tell you how much difference it makes if they're parallel.

3. On any point of sail, and especially a reach, boat speed should be fastest with the windward hull just touching the water. This isn't necessarily the same as VMG, however.

4. In any wind strength other than nuclear, all sail controls (downhaul, outhaul, etc.) are optimized when they are set just tight enough to remove the wrinkles from the sail. In high wind, you want to crank it tight to reduce power. Some people want their sails to be baggy if it gets really light, but that's another story...

Hope this helps.

Mike