I was with you right up to the end. I wouldn't say that the Olympic sailors won't be the best on the smaller cats due to the AC, any more than saying the same would be true with the keelboats back when the AC was on monohulls.

It's always been a different group of sailors. The Olympics tend to feed the super-high-end regattas (AC, VOR, etc.); as that's where the money is. Said another way, an Olympic medal is a pre-requisite to get the top-paying rides at other major events.

My two cents, YMMV...

Mike