Exactly. Only one team wins your country's slot.... it's a zero sum game. Bad things happening to a countryman are good for you. Training with a US Team is bad for your chances... Consequently you train with an international team who faces similar circumstances. The culture is corrosively competitive and more like a pro sport... (without the big pay checks)

I bet if you asked every US Cat Class they uniformly will tell you... Oh... the class is very friendly.... People are very willing to share information and help you out.. So, If that's the case... Why is high ligting "sharing" and "Friendly" even an issue?.... answer... they are in stark contrast to Olympic Classes.

2) The Olympics dominates your schedule. Grade I regattas are locked in a regatta circuit. The only window for the US to host a grade I event is January in the Keys... or perhaps Dec. Boats have to be shipped to the next big event.

3) Last point... when you have your signature regatta... you expect your US Olympic sailors to participate.... But they are racing in the EU... and sorry... they are not going to make it.. Since people are closer to sheep then they admit and ... they want to follow the fleet leaders... Regattas crater when they fail to get critical mass of the top sailors.

All in all...It's better for a sailor to choose to opt into an Olympic flavor of your kind of sailing. Let the popular classes develop their own culture and traditions minus the attitudes needed to survive Olympics.

I have no idea why people are so content with the proposal of a mixed Catamaran (versus Open or M/F).

Quick Test... who won the US Open Mixed Doubles Tennis Tournament?