Club Boat

You could always agree to buy only old boats to start with. This an option often chosen by FF15 fleets abroad. It's good for the class who get a new fleet, and create space elsewhere for new boats.

There should be a good few classes that have cheap 10-15 year old boats available.

Gordon

Unfortunately if you want a class to appeal to a wide range of sailors or potential sailors then now adays you probably need to have an assymetric class.  Since they already have the GP14 I wasn't sure what extra benefit adding either the Lark or Scorpion would add to the club!  I was trying to be objective rather than promote the class I sail.

It depends very much on the style of the club.

Where I sail there are few members who would be prepared to invest in a new boat. Any new class would have to be a well established class with a wide range of second hand boats in sailable condition.

I had great fun sailing a Snipe...second hand boats available, tight, tactical racing from F0.5 to 6 and true international racing (that is sailing against people who don't have English as their 1st language). The one design i now so well established that if you want to do a championship in Rio you only take your sails with you. Not many classes that you can say that about.

As a Firefly sailor I'm obviously going to suggest the Firefly. Great inland tactical boat that are also perfect for team racing. The Rondar plastic boats are well priced, and they are a great Wife/husband or Parent/child boat.

Better yet, take all of you who are looking to change along to the dinghy show, look at all the boats, note all the ones you like, and then take them for test sails. Classes will fall over themselves for a chance to get a fleet at a new club!