I would also say... that after the Worrel... the 20 or so boats were spread up and down the east coast. The buoy racing scene... which should be where this boat is perfect... did not and (to this day) does not exist to support the boat outside the class on the east coast. The class organized a year of succesful one design regattas BUT the travel, costs and time meant that the circuit got old for the owners ...

When that fell apart... you did not have a critical mass in any LOCAL area to keep the interest up in the boat as a class of sailors and build from.

Since open class races are often distance type events... the weapon of choice would not be the HT.

The F18 class got a great start at this time with the Tiger's coming into upstate New York... and the Nacra F18's going into Michigan and then the South.. The domestic builders and dealers sold F18's... The HT's lost their price advantage (dollar crashed), US importer (family issues) and marketing advantage (Worrel... was a disaster that slimed the boat class as well)

In the end... Neither the F18 or the HT class has really taken off on the east coast with a regional regatta schedule that draws 10 boats or so on the line. Other regions are much more succesful with the F18...

In the end... Class growth usually doesn't have that much to do with the boat itself.... IMO... its all the other stuff that makes or breaks the class.