Until I raced a Laser against some Olympic level sailors, I did not realize how powerful kinetics is or how important an issue this is. So let's make sure we are talking about the same thing. Kinetics is where you are using your body's strength (pumping) or movement of your weight to make the boat go faster. Some examples are, a Laser coming out of a tack faster than they went into it or J22 using the keel as a paddle by rocking their boat. You are mostly allowed to use this to initiate something (getting on plane, catching a wave, etc ) but not allowed to use it to continue something (stay on a wave, keep moving in light air, etc).
Let's ignore pumping. It's plainly illegal
Can you use kinetics on a cat? Yes, but it's limited by the stability and overshadowed by the power of the boat. In light air it helps. If you move your weight or pull the sail just right in a gybe or a tack you can accelerate the boat. On a gybe, I think, you are giving the sail one really good pump just as it comes across. Do it just right and it helps the stern across. Do it wrong and you can stop On a tack, I think, you are using the dagger boards and the sails. One good pump and one good rock. I tried a Laser style tack on my 14 (because a friend on a Laser said "you don't have anything to lose"). It helps maintain your speed in a tack and get moving, in light air. I never in any danger of being protested. I was just less slow.
Anouther factor is weight. The lighter the boat, the better it works. The difference between a sudden movement on a 400 lb cat and a 150 lb cat is amazing. One 2 man boats there is the problem of coordination of that weight.
Mary, you started by talking about the Wave. The situation is, you are going dead downwind in light air and the waves are overtaking you. So as the wave moves past the midpoint, instead of letting the boat slow as the wave passes the bow, you move forward at the right time, the boat pivots on the wave, falls down the backside of the wave. It works on a Hobie Wave because it has such buoyant hulls (it floats like a cork) and the tramp is so long. On an A you would have to move 3 ft in front of the mast.
As long as you didn't do it every wave, I would call it "imitating surfing. If you did it on every wave someone might protest. If I were protested, I would counter that most cats don't go dead downwind and do the same thing by heading up a little. I will keep your technique mind for those really sucky days when it pays to go dead downwind.
Just don't be obvious. I once witnessed a Lake Race were only one boat could find any air. As he passed the finish line, he was standing up, urinating off the stern, yelling "rocket power". He was DSQ'ed. Propulsion and unsportsman like conduct.
