I guess I was using exaggeration a bit. I was trying to suggest that perhaps you are tacking too often as in the course is too small or you were focused on tacking on every header instead of good boat speed.
I am interested in your findings. I rarely have other boats near me to highlight my gains/losses during boat maneuvers as Matt detailed above. I started out using the classic Cat tactics of "banging the corners of the course". The fewer tacks the better. To the extreme of starting on port to make the first leg a one tacker. I have started using the GPS as a digital compass and am tacking more often now. Currently, I am using around 7.5 degrees as my tolerance. If my course is varying by less than that I hold the tack. But as I said, I don't get much feedback on boatlength type gains/losses.

All that could be changing this year. Another Blade has joined my club and he is already showing surprising speed to windward in the lighter stuff.