Wouter,
To expand on my analogy between handicap racing and golf. In golf, you choose what club to use for the situation, you decide strategically which side of the fairway you want to hit to, you try to avoid the water hazards and sand traps, you check out the lie of the putting green. You may watch the golfers in front of you to see how wind is affecting the trajectory of their shots, so you can adjust yours accordingly to compensate and take advantage. But your whole goal is to try to get the lowest possible score and, hopefully, equal or beat the handicap that you have been assigned....UNLESS you stonewall so you can get a higher handicap and therefore improve your chances of winning in the future.

The only difference with handicap sailboat racing is that instead of trying for the lowest possible score, you are trying for the lowest possible elapsed time around the course, and you are hoping to equal or beat the handicap that has been assigned to you. Well, the other difference is that in golf you are the only person hitting a ball at any given time, so you have the course to yourself; whereas in handicap sailboat racing, you have a bunch of obstacles -- other boats -- on the course at the same time.

Occasionally, you may be able to get some useful information from watching what is happening with those other boats, but for the most part you are just looking for clear air and the best wind and the fastest lane around the course -- strategy.

No question about this being a challenge, but it is a challenge of a different kind than you find in one-design racing. Some people like one type of challenge and some like the other. Personally, I would rather race one-design and lose and feel like I learned something, than to race on handicap and win and always wonder why.