I would like to give my two cents opinion here, I am not a competitor but I love A class sailing and I love to fix problems on the boat year after year and to make some big homework like realize a triradial sail for my "old modern" A class cat.
I have red entirely the thread, a lot of discussion, a lot of speculation on big advantages or on resale value of "outdated boats"
well my idea is that I love A Class because it is more technologically advanced than any other beach catamaran commercially available, it is fast and pleasant to sail
I think I would like to try an hydrofoil assisted boat able to enjoy myself in the 4-30 knots range in summertime (I think it would be reaaaaally difficoult to get that with a banana board...)
you say: but this wwould outdate new boats ! well, here I don't see the problem, given that me myself I would be in trouble because I could indifferently decide to change my old modern a cat for the new hydrofoil assisted boat or equally I could decide to buy an almost new "traditional" boat at a sale price.
Given the class as it is now, I WOULD NOT CHANGE my 9 years old woderful and performant carbon a class for nothing new... such as a wavepiercing and similar refinement (usefoul "maybe" only for talented sailor to race in the international arena)
I told you, I love pleasant sailing and the certainty of sailing something technologically ahead in respect to other friends' boat (in other words smarter...)

all this to say that in my opinion A class it is not anymore developmental class but a perfectionated class of a previously developmental class

everything in the end has a cost, either maintainig the class stable as allowing sudden changes

;-)