With regard to the cushions The reason for making them optional is not to lighten the boat but to preserve them from water etc. If you are doing a day race ie the N/A's on a hard rain day they will get wet etc. a new set of cushions for the boat is about 3 grand I would rather spend it on sails rather than on cushions so anything I can do to increase their life is good.
The head board issue is one that was brought up by a sailmaker in that the current wording is not clear The proposed change is to clarify it so that measurement issues do not come up at the N/A's The only effect it may have is if you order a new sail w/ a bolt rope and then add slugs later you will fall out of the measurement spec unless that is addressed when the sail is cut.
Charlie
