OH GEEZ.... Why do you bait me???

How can I resist a debate equivalent to the number of angels dancing on the head of a pin?

The premise of your argument is that the capitalists demand entry into the socialist game is not reality.

The analogies to our ugly history with the Hobie edict is not accurate.. The one off or dead boat society boats were NOT asking to start with the Hobie 20s in their socialist race... They were asking to increase the size of the pie by adding another start to the regatta. The capitalists were delighted to look down their nose at the backward socialists and play with their state of the art toys (spins and lifting foils) This worked well and then Hobie CA exercised their monopoly with control of the Organizing authorities aka the Yacht clubs and turned down your request for a handicap start. The socialist feared the allure of the capitalists sexy hot toys. The capitalists simply took their game to a competing socialist organization... the regions blue blazer Yacht clubs and their game continued.

Your argument that the capitalists are rent seeking by gaming the handicap table has merit. Capitalists always look for areas with asymmetry in information. A new design is a perfect example of how you can exploit this asymmetry and collect some pickle dishes. The only solution is a transparent measurement based handicap system that can adjust to new facts on the water with an adjustment to the formula on an annual basis.

In the real world... the socialist are forced to drop out of their failing social structure and join the capitalists in their handicap race, all be it with a very dated ride. I conclude that the eternal dialectic between socialist an capitalist will continue and the world is better off with this dyanmic in play. The socialists enjoy their fun factor until they can't... the capitalists accept the socialists joining them and giggle as they take advantage of the asymmetry in information and rack up some pickle dishes at the expense of the socialists.

To see this in real life... visit Key West and watch the J70 guys party with the PHRF national championship equivents on the PHRF circles.
Grin