One more point,

Racing among kids is different from racing full F18 courses that take on average 45 minutes to complete and go very close to the horizon.

A thing that worked really well with lasers a few times was to have short courses and short races. Say every 10 to 15 minutes as winner and then the next start. This was very succesful in getting the fleet going. If you screwed up one race then you could simply try again the next race and get lucky.

This format was even commericialized overhere by one guy. He has 12 laser standards and a pond of water and you could rent a laser for 2 hours including racing for I think 25 euro's. The water was about 1 meter deep (which is enough) and he would sail out to set some bouy out. Then from the jetty he would start and finish the races. Typically 2 laps, under 15 minute duration.

This concept became so succesful that he is booked for full a year in advance for every weeknight during the main summer months. There are groups of friends and groups from companies that have a fixed time and date on which they do their racing. Some groups even have small ladder competitions. The guys is able to make a living of this.

It sure helps that overhere the summer evenings have good daylight till 22:30 (10:30 pm) at night. He can bring in 500 bucks per evening and 5 days a week. So he can accept a few windless or rainy days.

Why ? Because the lasers are relatively easy boats to master and easily repaired while having enough performance to make racing fun.

I think a similar concept could well be had with F12's. Even more so as they will be easier to master still and even more performant. When they are boardlesss the damage risks are even less.

It was getting to concepts like these that kept me enthousiastic about the F12. I really think there is potential in this approach. Even towards youths. Just as they go out carting (also 25 buckes but now for a single 15 minute ride/race) they can go out racing sailboats on a nice day ! Racing as in 10 heats per 2 hours. And finish off a whole series in one go. Or just go broad reaching about, what ever they want. It is their 25 bucks.

If the kids are still very young and are put off by competitiveness then this concept will still work with "games" as defined by Phill. The fact that any parent can rent a boat for a few weeknight during the first summer is really important in lower the threshold. They will take to it and then a purchase will be justified or the kids gives it up after a few tries and then the parent is only what 200 bucks poorer (8 times trying) ?

Side effects are of course you'll get a stream of old charter boats being sold on each year and the fact that part of the eanings come from other groups then youths, who can be a bit undependable economically speaking. Basically the adult racing can be used to generate income that can be reinvested in keeping this program that is easily accessible to kids and youth alive and maybe even to reinvest the money on a larger skill with respect to kids like true coaching be a skilled sailor.

Everything costs money guys, so we will do well to design a proper income into this class and these boats.

If the boats are cheap enough in purchase and maintaince amd perform well enough with an adult on boards then I think this has real economic viability.

Wouter