Hi Greg,
Neither stilts nor surgery required. I suspect that a clever bit of marketing (nowadays called ‘spin’) conveniently forgot to mention that the sails were easily handled from the cockpit, but only when they were set. With A1 though, you could also set the sails without stilts, surgery or leaving the cockpit.
Ever tried a pogo stick – every boat ought to have one……………………………….?
Aye Mike