Years ago when I raced windsurfers I used to finish middle of the pack. Then I went to a seminar with a pro. What a difference. I went to the front of the pack and stayed there. Not sure if Rick still does seminars but if he does I would suggest doing one.
Also I found my time on a sailboard was excellent because you can feel very intimately exactly what is going on with the sail and what the effect is of every move you make whether it be with the sail adjustments, mast position, your hand position, daggerboard adjustment, etc.
I am very busy sailing because I constantly tweak things adjusting for wind shifts etc. I also mentally map out the wind in an area because especially on lakes the winds shift according to the trees, hills buildings etc. around it.
From hang gliding I learned about micrometerology (Dennis Pagens books) and how sometimes winds flow around an obstruction and sometimes they pass over it. This is important as you can map out where you can expect doldrums or winds backing or veering.
Maybe it's just me but I find that following the pack is a bad idea. I make a plan and stick to it and spend my energy extracting every ounce out of the wind.