John-
What about your idea of an "A" cat "kit"- so the potential "A" cat sailor can provide the labor (obviously a major part of the cost) him/herself and still get a competitive "A" at a very reasonable price? You could even have a full-on CF "kit" vs an "economy" AL kit (with AL beams/crossbars/mast)- if somebody later wanted they could upgrade to CF-

Kirt