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!