The bottom line is you cannot bring new people into the sport if it is perceived as "too hard and too expensive". We need more cheap training facilities with boats available at a low cost, just to get more people started, then once they get addicted to it, they can buy which cat suits their style. Right now, in the US, the only way to learn is do it yourself (often results in a destroyed boat) or spend big bucks to join a yacht club, to use their boats and get training there. I have been impressed by the RYA programs in England that take in anyone off the street, have the boats, instructors and even wetsuits and a shower room available, all for about $30 for an intro lesson. Why we don't have that in the States is a mystery...could it be Insurance Costs are too high?