I didn't tie mine down one night a few years ago. The wind was light and getting ligher, but about 3am a line of thunderstorms came through and flipped about 4 boats, mine being one of them. One was a Hobie 16, mast up but tied down on a trailer. The whole thing went over on the side.

A few broken masts were the results, so now if I think there is even a small chance there will be any -night wind- at all, I tie it down, using the trap handles and some extra line, strung to a park bench, tree, picknick table, cat trailers, or what ever is available. Oh, and be sure to tighten the mast rotator line before you go or it will flop around quite a bit.

Some guys bring the big dog screws or 2x4's and bury them in the sand to tie off to. Dropping the mast is always an option, but a real -pita- with the spin pole and halyard setup, but if it were really going to be windy and there were no trees around to tie off to, then yeah, drop it.