Class is an interesting concept as well...
Since the discussion is What factors are “Growing class involvement”
We should agree on the meaning of “Class”
Back in the day, a Class was defined as a minimum of 5 of the same kind of boats at the event. The class had a fleet captain, rules etc etc. The class was the people who moved as a group of people to regattas and dragged along the same kind of boat.

People would say… “Oh… the Hobie 16 is a great class… meaning the people…who also dragged along a Hobie 16.” Or the Flying Scott is a family oriented class…. Etc etc.

I see that you are using the word Class some what differently. You seem to refer to the different types of boats out racing… You might say... we had 5 classes racing today... eg one of each of a different type of boat. So, in this day and age... Class is not referencing the group of people on the beach... its really is used to refer to the boat.... Its interesting how we generally think of this issue. You would probably say... I belong to the F16 class... (lots of brand loyality, recognition, etc etc come your way) Yet, in reality you belong to the Portsmouth Class in your area. The Portsmouth class is the group of sailors on the beach that you will race against and you happen to each drag a different kind of boat around. Notice though ... NOBODY walks around and announces.. Well, I belong to the Portsmouth class!

So, when the observation is made. “the racing in the A class is growing and getting more exciting” …The observation is being made about the group of people.

Notice that in a separate Post, Bob Hodges listed the Sailors who are attending the worlds and his emphasis on their high powered sailing chops… (Olympics, Medals, etc etc).. Bob is using the term CLASS to reference the people and highlighting the competition that will occur. …

Wouter, I think correctly summarizes the thought process of the F16 buyer. CLASS in the traditional sense of the word would not be high on the list of factors.

Your decision was probably
Boat.
Geography
When does the Portsmouth racing occur.
Social Structure (CRAW fleet accepts your particular flavor of boat)
Competition
Class Structure. (no other F16’s around the area so you can’t have much of a class)

The Hobie 17 sailor is ranking these factors as I previously suggested and so not interested in the A class just to the south.

I bought an A Class
The decision for me was Boat (high performance)
Class structure (15 of em a half hour away)
Geography
Racing schedule
Competition.

So… if you are trying to grow your class (or explain the growth or lack their of)… What if anything is there to do?

Do you consider Geography, Boat, Schedule, Competition, Class Structure /loyalty and change your program to grow. Or are things good as they are?
Do you focus on getting novices into cat racing from the beginning?
Do you focus on getting novices into sailing a cat first?
Should the F16’s try to get a nationals going in North America?
Should the F18’s try to support three nationals in 2008?
Should the A class continue with their existing program of focusing on single yacht clubs as focal points?
Should the Hobie 20, 17 and 18 classes make any local rules changes now that the boats are out of production?
Should the Taipan 4.9 class embrace the square top main?
Should the Hobie 16 class embrace the spinnaker? (Its just a rhetorical question in this list (grin)?
Should Hobie regattas go back to 5 boats equal a class race… otherwise.. go home?
Should Hobie regattas score hobies that don’t make class(5 boats) in Hobie Open?
Should Hobie regattas run Open Class?
Should Hobie regattas run F18 class?
Should the F16 single handers try to schedule events with the F17 single handers?
Should we really support the SL16 Youth boat… or try to forget about it?
Should we get behind the Hobie 16 no spin as the youth boat?
Should the F18’s try to bump the Hobie 16 from the Pan Am games in order to grow their class?
Should Portsmouth set a threshold for CLASS participation of a Nationals with 5 or more boats as a minimum for getting a gold standard rating… Everyone else keeps their historical rating or gets a provisional rating until they make the threshold of a nationals with 5 boats?
Will the Tornado Class have a surprise featherweight team in the competition in China because the class voted down the change by not getting the 2/3 vote (failed by an eyelash)?

As once said… enquiring minds want to know?