Sailing fast is about boat control. Weight placment and sail trim a huge on the 16. My comment on downwind sailing fast is to concentrate on the weight placement. Note this includes trapping if the conditions warrant (and your skill in driving is sufficient to make it pay) There has to be eneough wind to make it pay to get out on the wire otherwise you are just sailing farther. It is not a generic statement that getting out on the wire is faster than not.

Note the A cat guys do not sit in the middle of the boat in anything but a certain wind strength, they are moving around a lot. I have also witnessed Ashby get out on the trap down wind on his A when he needed to to cover his position on the course.