goal is to ease at gust onset

This is the key skill.... you need to see the gust coming at you.... Your sheet hand must anticipate the gust hitting your boat and ease at exactly the right time .... if you are counting on feeling the hull lift from where you are normally flying it... you are too late... the elevator ride up and down is not fast.

The fast boats don't change the boat attitude.... they go faster in the puffs... the ease at the onset and the sheet back in as the puff attenuates gives you the speed.

Another gear is to take height.

you take height if that is called for tactically. That conversation height or speed also needs to happen before the gust hits. it also requires seeing and anticipating the gust... not feeling the gust.