Interesting that you say that, and I am glad you did.
I am most interested in a board like this for "sight seeing" in sub 13 knots, treating my rig more like a sailboat. Most sailboats don't go out for 2 hours and cover the same tack 200 times.
When I go sightseeing, I love to cover a huge area (3 or more miles upwind if possible, and probably an area 10 miles square) and just check stuff out for up to 2 hours. Few things are more fun (for me anyway, Masters in marine ecology) than freaking out some fish or dolphins that never saw ya' coming
I wouldn't ride sub 13 back and forth in the same spot.
So the more freedom (higher pointing upwind) the better.
Good to hear what you said in that regard.
Thanks again, Kent.