I can't imagine a pillar getting in the way too badly (if at all) if you manage to get so close to the front.
I sometimes sit in front of the paddock in the disabled section...and I haven't gotten wet when in rains yet. Perhaps if the wind was blowing in the wrong direction I'd suffer...but with it being low down in a stadium...wind isn't often a problem.
I remember back in the late 90's when I first got a season ticket in the main stand...my dad and I went to the stadium and a chap from sales took us around all the available seats.
It'd be worth enquiring if they still offer this service.