Class proliferation...

Precisely. You don't get to the end of a cycling race and find out that your Merida has a different handicap to your mate's Giant, nor does cycling allow the equivalent of a Moth, skiff or Aero to compete.

However.

The view of the landscape can also vary hugely depending on your point of view.

Yes quite probably to the eyes of keen racers there are too many classes to support in the current climate of reduced participation in sailing.

For keen sailors, tinkerers and experimenters perhaps the number is just right with many old and not so old to choose from and every new idea eagerly anticipated.  

Put as simply as possible - the 'model' for racng small boats has changed.  Today handicap racing in various guises is the norm at many clubs for sure ... but classes still have plenty of 'purist' opens and both Inland and National championships available each year.  Fleet racing at club level is mourned by a few but it had a tendency to get very repetitive - same people, same courses, same location - a very standard pecking order quickly emerged and especially if the boat was not that much fun or easily accessible simply to sail or race the experience could quickly become boring for the typical 'mid-fleeter'.   Those keen to turn the clock back too often want to re-impose the 'adopted class'  rules .. rather than working to get more involved and into any sort of boatin the first place.  Class tribalism and a selective memory harking back to a 'golden age' does not help ...

If you want to bring new bloood into racing concentrate on making things more enjoyable at club level.  'Socials' back in the day were more a real recruiter than anything else and many more boats were suitable for grabbing a spare (newbie) person when regular crews occasionally did not turn up...  Many an adult or kid learnt that sailing could actually be fun and sailing clubs were good socially as well and were hooked.  So maybe more and 'better' socials and more 2 crew boats and 'fun' however you define it... plus adults as well as kids involved.  Get these basics right and then they may even race !!  The argument for 'what' should any newcomer should race is way way down list of newbie drivers in reality.    

I would challenge that regards the RS Aero.

- A significant demographic of RS Aero take up is sailors returning to the sport after a break (career, kids...) who were motivated to do so with the RS Aero's performance/reward and lightness but would not have bought back into the previous heavier options.

- Many smaller sailors (small ladies and youths in particular) would not be able to pull a heavier boat up a steep slipway singlehanded or manhandle it ashore and the RS Aero provides a viable option for them.