Dennis in response to your question, these are a few of the things that we do in light air.
In light air we try to stick to some basics. Clean bottom, strip search on the boat to get rid of the junk that accumulates(the weight saved is usually offset by the additional drinks and ice), make sure the sails are clean and dry (rinse out the salt)tune to a looser rig, watch the sail hoist and trim -- too tight is slow, lighter sheets for jibs and chute, adjust leads for the jib and main for more twist, identify the favored tack/course, maintain clear air-which usually means avoid the center of the course, keep tacking to a minimum, leward heel upwind, keep the boat moving to make the keel work and increase apparent wind.
