I tend to agree with the general idea of your post, Wouter. The participation in these "Worlds" is pathetic. We get more 17's at our North Americans - nearly double.
But where are the Europeans at this event?
I can tell you why I didn't go (and I really wanted to go to this event) - $$$$. The plane ticket alone was $2,500. Bring my wife and daughter along (no way were they going to let me go to AUS by myself) and plane fare jumps to $7,500. By the time it was all said and done, I would have spent over $12,000 to go sailing for a week. That's nuts.
I bought a Tiger instead.
The majority of people buying catamarans are not the ones that are going to the Worlds. They're the ones taking their kids out on the lake and maybe going to one or two races a year. That's the bulk of the market. That's who we need to market to. They don't give a rat's a$$ what's going on in AUS right now.