... getting off the line and focusing on clear air and boat speed are the priority....
Mike
When is this not the case?
Touché...
My point was that with more breeze, you can sometimes focus more on speed than positioning. It's harder to get substantial separation in light air.
A 420 or Opti gate with 80-boat fleets in light air is much different than in a windy race. With faster boats, more wind allows even more separation.
True, even when in the lead, you have to always focus on boatspeed (so as not to fall back into the crowd), but not having to worry about traffic and positioning makes life much simpler.
Mike