I appreciate what you have to say about the sails, and I will no doubt be needing a new one in the future. Calvert or North seems like the way to go.

Nevertheless, the main point I was trying to raise is that compared to the easy-lock system, older rudder systems have a substantial built-in "tiller extension". My experience is that the difference is not so important going downwind, but it is significant going upwind. Since it seems unlikely that Hobie will be going back to older rudders, I would like to see consideration given to leveling the competitive advantage enjoyed by those who use the older rudder systems. I haven't priced out a new "older system" from Hobie, but I suspect it would be prohibitively expensive for me.

Taking the long view, how likely is it that new Wave sailors will want to race in regattas if they feel their factory equipped boat puts them at a significant disadvantage?

Without IWCA Wave racing would probably not exist in any meaningful way. Is the organization flexible enough to deal with unexpected challenges provided by Hobie in order to keep growing the class?