Melges 14

The cat guys did it with the F18 eons ago. Just make a set of class rules that are mass-production friendly (unlike most dinghy development classes) and let everyone play together in the Formula class as well as by themselves as a SMOD, like the Nacra infusion and Hobie Tiger/Wildcat do. You could ensure that obsolescence and radical designs are controlled by requiring homologation and by strict dimensional limits, and perhaps allow in one-offs with a weight and sail area penalty.

I supposed the manufacturers fear that creating a Formula 4 (or whatever) class would make it too easy for rivals to achieve critical mass, but history tells us that new dinghy classes are highly unlikely to really catch on outside the UK anyway. If the manufacturers don't get together their new classes may all go down separately.

PS - some of us prefer aft sheeting because the leverage of the mainsheet is so much better.