There's no doubt we now have 'many new and different recreational options available' but as I see it, and much of what you say is indicative, there is very little being done to encourage and/or sell sailing to younger people, particularly cat sailing/racing. There seems to be plenty of money to build bigger and faster boats in ever more diverse classes for the cashed up minority but there's not much money around for youth training.

One of the problems sailing has selling itself to prospective participants is the difficulties of televising regattas. Unlike football, golf, basket ball etc, we don't have regular television broadcasts of sailing. The mechanics and environment are such that making an epic video which Joe Average can relate to, is very difficult. Technically it's difficult and it is seen as complicated and there are no good commentators with sufficient knowledge to adequately explain what's is going on. It's been done but not well IMHO. Mostly these telecasts only cater to the sailing-wise. It could be done so much better and considering there is a huge amount of advertising space on a set of sails, it's got to be lucrative. The commentator/s is/are the key. I remember the Sydney Olympics and the pathetic and often blatantly derogatory commentary that went with the sailing telecasts here in Oz. It was a bloody embarrassment to anyone watching with any knowledge at all of sailing. An absolute disgrace.

It would seem to me that some good money needs to be directed toward educating the public, training youth to sail, and finding some good sailing commentators.