John,
Some of the strong points for the Tornado:
1. Probably the most "bang for the buck" of all the Olympic classes in terms of reliability, longevity, and performance.
2. Truly a boat that can be sailed with a mixed team, witness the success of Carolyn Brouwer (sp?) in both the Tornado and F-18.
3. A European Tornado championship typically attracts at least 80-100 boats.
4. Sailors can compete in the class into middle age, no age bias towards younger sailors.
I know the demographic of multihull sailors is significant. I'd like to see US Sailing justify their selection when confronted with actual numbers.
Plain ignorance and/or arrogance laid bare.
Bob
P.S. - Doug Snell, I bought a Corsair Sprint 750, lovely boat to sail. Speed with comfort!