I seriously doubt someone that doesn't know the basic rules would spend the money to show up at a world event. Even so, the intimidation level on the race course, especially at starts, keeps them from getting into trouble.

For 15 years, the Hobie classes have allowed anybody willing to pay the entry fee to show up and race at a North American event. I've personally participated in 20 of them in four different classes. Not once can I remember being interefered with by "some dumb bunny who doesn't know the rules and caused an accident they didn't even know they were causing." On the other hand, I can remember several situations where people who knew the rules all too well, interefered with starts, mark roundings - you name it.

The two world events that I've participated in both required pre-qualification - but only because the manufacturer was supplying the boats and for no other reason. I could not find a single NOR for an Olympic Class World Championship - so I don't know if your statement is true or not. I suspect it isn't, at least for some of the classes, since the results for their worlds are pretty stacked with "local" sailors.

The bottom line is we need to encourage class sailing throughout the US, not discourage it by installing artificial hurdles for attendance. The only time restrictions need to be set for entry is when the projected attendance exceeds the ability of the venue to accomodate it (bad choice of venue) or when the mfg supplies boats (like Hobie did prior to 15 years ago and will be doing for the 16 NA's in the next three years).