The one inch aft rule is only a class rule. If you sail mostly in heavy air, moving the step further forward won't help you much-in fact it may make you overpowered. If you sail mostly in very light air, having the step another 1/4" to 1/2" forward would probably be a good thing. Of course, if one design is not a concern, you could install an adjustable step that would allow you to slide the step position forward for light, and aft for heavy.
