Well, it may be in your head Wouter but for others it is a measurable difference.

BMWO AC team changed the shape of their runner lines in 2006 and gained more than 4 seconds a mile upwind. now that might seem like nothing to you but over a 2 mile beat 8 seconds is big, and it means boatlengths which in that game is king.

So Air drag is very important, particularly when it comes to the size and shape of things such as stay wires and trap lines etc.

One of the biggest areas of development in Grand Prix yacht racing in the last 12-18 months has been the reduction of windage. Now are they all spending that money for nothing? things such as hiding traditional cabin top winches behind the coachhouse, and recessing primary winches into the deck to reduce the presented area.

Also fairing spreaders and rigging attachments to the mast.

On a beach cat there are many messy things and its hard to quantify or even justify single changes, but a low windage philosophy is a good approach to have. It all adds up and it sure as hell won't make you slower!