Interesting thread, but I think we`re missing the point here with respect to the reason for the change.
From what I`ve read here, the main reason seems to be to control costs at the cutting edge of the sport, where only 1% of the competitors play, and are paid to do so.
The carbon mast will prevent competitors such as the British Olympic team from HAVING to have a "mast program" and spending millions on developing their boat. Rest assured they will find another direction to spend that funding, since they have it.
It won`t make sailing a T more expensive for the weekend warrior - the ally masts will remain class legal for a time at least, and there will still be sailors who are self-funded and sail with the old rig. Those who want to sail a Worlds will spend the money, since it`s a fraction of the real cost of sailing the boat.
What happened to the Tornado by becoming an Olympic class was that the cost of campaigning a boat rose substantially, as happens in all classes. The cost of a Laser has gone up disproportionately with the increase in technology required to build one - they should be the cheapest boat money can buy. It is, after all, only Tupperware with a dacron sheet for a sail on a round tubular alu. mast. You could not design a cheaper boat if you tried, yet they are damn expensive for what you get. This is what Olympic status creates - the perception that the boat is worth more than it is. The sad thing is that the market tends to support this ridiculous notion.

Back to the T - it has long since been a boat that the average cat-sailor can buy & compete with on equal terms to the top sailors. The Tornado Worlds were in South Africa a few years ago, and we have 10 or 12 Marstrom Tornados here, most with the new rig & spinnaker, yet South Africa is no longer listed as one of the Tornado class member countries.
Why ? Because the cost of competing at that level has made it impossible for these sailors to continue without sponsorship, and sailing does not appeal to sponsors in this country since their return on investment is very low with respect to tv coverage etc. It is not worth these sailors effort to even be members of the class anymore.
What this means is that only those with Olympic ideals will continue to campaign the boat, and the boat will no longer be marketed towards, or sailed by, the regular weekend sailor.
The cost saving made at one level of the sport will become a cost increase at the base level, but that won`t concern the class association or the builders - the top level players will buy a new boat every 2 years at least.

If the Olympic selection committee ever choose another cat for the event other than the T, the class will disappear in a vapour trail, with only emty check-books as evidence it ever existed.
Pity, as its a magic machine.

Steve