Mary,
I think you may have finally pinned them down. I enjoyed reading all the non-responses to your revised question. I certainly understood it as did most people. My guess is that most didn't want to state the obvious; its more fun to race boat for boat than against a time factor (handicap). I'm for one design as you presented it.

CRAC does what was mentioned in an earlier post; we sail handicap, but if you can get 5 boats to show up, you can be scored BOTH as one design and handicap. That sometimes brings up a question in the middle of a race; do I sail defensively to beat the other guy on the one-design, or keep going for the overall? Not a problem, just an added (an interesting) choice to make on the water.

David
H20