Todd

Your problem with SMOD is that you don't see any leverage on the builder.... The I will vote with my feet to another builder if you screw me and or the class is not available. There is a time honored solution.... Form a strong class association and own the rights to the design and license it back to the builder.

Laser has three builders and so by usual definitions is OD.. But See their problems. The class does not own the design. Kirby owned the rights until he sold them and then things took a turn south with one of the builders choosing to screw everyone. So... this OD model is blowing up in front of our eyes.

If the builder goes sideways or looses interest.... SMOD or OD won't matter.

So, I think the key is to make sure that the Class Association owns the rights to the build and design... Then they can go find another builder (SM) If the sailors can't form that strong class assn.... they are taking a chance... The F18 class is strong and owns the class rule and the builders buy into it and the class approves the builds.

The Hobie 16 class does not own the design but they keep chugging along... The strong class association keeps the builder happy and vice versa so it can work as designed.

I did not own a Nacra 20... never liked that boats lines. I never thought the telephone pole like omohundru carbon mast made sense on that boat. However, the failure of the OD class was in my view at least as much a fault of the owners who could not and still can not agree on what the class should have been about.
So...I would say... the builder and the sailors screwed up the Inter 20, Nacra 20 whatever class. SMOD was only part of that story.