Is inflation impacting Nationals Attendance?

I actually think Olympic status hurts the full rig attendances. Maybe not at a club level, but at nationals events and rankers etc. The very top Olympic squaddies might not be there, but the there are quite a few who are close to that level. I mean, most adult fleets don't have many sailors, even at the top, who hold aspiration to win an Olympic medal, and they don't really need out hiking by a 20 years old to understand that. 

The laser Olympic status probably does help the radial, 4.7 in the same way the 49er helps the 29er and the 470 the 420. The youth boats is a place where you can buy in to the dream without having directly crushed by those living the dream. 

I mean, if Olympic status really helps a class, then where are the big attendances for the 49er, Nacra and 470? 

Forums are about opinions and with out them there is no forum . Look I dislike loads of boats Solos being the top of the list and include anything roto moulded apart from the Feva. BUT that doesn’t mean I am disrespecting the boats , the people that sail them or the reasons they have chosen them .It just means I don’t like them, end of nothing more. If someone wants to take a comment about a boat they love as a  personal insult that’s says more about them than the original poster. 

The bottom line is as long as people come to the forum , in good humour , play nice and stay away from personal insults, people will continue to post  . 

Thanks for your input . Have a nice day 

But, they're all two person boats so harsh to compare to a single hander. Plus you get a fair more boat for your buck, so I am not sure how much cost is a factor. Probably better comparing the cost of a merlin to a 470, a foiling phantom to the Nacra and an 800 to the 49er. 

49er, Nacra and even to an extent the 470 are limited on venues where you can sail which further hampers amateur involvement. So there may be an element of this which certainly doesn't affect the laser.

But mostly I think people don't sail these classes because there will be ~10 boats who sailing full time and life is structured around sailing. Plus they're pretty good anyways. And those same boats add little social value* as they have to act professional. Not a great way to build a domestic fleet. Yet, despite this, the laser seems to get good turnouts. But I would struggle to say they really benefit from being an Olympic class (in the full rig). 

*full time sailors outside their professional bot are a lot more fun. But they're also easier to beat and are essentially on holiday.