Hi I have read most of this thread with interest and as the person who headed up the RYA "young sailors in cats program" in the UK starting from zero boats and zero sailors 5 yrs ago we have learnt from making our own share of mistakes. From my view, junior and youth sailing in cats or dinghies is a transition thing, the sailors will move on, some will make potential olympic sailors some will be great event sailors others enjoy their sailing at a class level. During that time they will move around class and depending on their age, commiments, finance and location. In our program we left the learn to sail part alone and searched for young sailors at junior or youth race level who were looking or needed change. It has not been easy and no sooner do we get them in at the bottom than they move out at the top due to age and ability but that is our role.
I feel Mary is right, each region and country is individual in terms of where it is now and where it wants to be and how to get there. What ever cat is finally selected by ISAF I believe that is less than half the story to success. ISAF ,if they want the youth cat racing program to be successful and see more young sailors in cats and at the ISAF youth worlds they need to invest in helping MNA's to establish "young sailors in cats programs". We were lucky, we had some funding (not as much as some think) to get the program going and it is still not easy, but to expect MNA's who often have little experince with junior and youth sailors racing cats, to suddenly start sending teams to the isaf youth worlds is questionable, especially if the boat is less avalible. It took 5 yrs for us to develop the structure and have a small but regular flow of young cat sailors coming through. Dispite what some have said in this forum those sailors that have come out the top of the UK program have moved into F18 because they see it as the next challenge and some will go on to Tornado development squad I am sure. I hope that ISAF recognise the need and importance of this support and encouragement for MNA,s it will be a hard road without some help on the way which some may not choose to take without some help.
Reading through some of the comments made you might be suprised just how light a couple of young sailors can be to sail a H16 with gennaker in 20kts and right a H16 in no wind 100kg max all up.
Brian