Our local yacht broker has a weekly newsletter, they were talking about the Annapolis Boat Show but here is the quote:

Long time show goers will note a few trends that have become more prevalent in recent years. There are fewer boats on display because there are fewer builders. There are more foreign-built boats as companies in areas with weaker economies try for sales in North America. You may complain about our situation over here but the European builders will tell you that their market is really soft right now. There are more larger boats and very few of the small ones that so many sailors got their start on, boats like Catalina 22s and 25s and Pearson 26s for example. Those were mainstays years ago but no longer. They are too expensive to build in today’s lower volumes, there is next to no margin for the builders, and the world is awash in smaller used boats at low prices. In addition the younger generation that was the target market for this type of boat years ago is mostly out of the boat buying game, they come back when they are older, have more money and want something larger and nicer. So the smaller boats today are mostly racers as there is always some demand for new design and technology.

Therefore the market for new boats is mostly mid-30 feet and up, and for many areas it is over 40 feet. That is why you see more new boats coming out in that size and few small ones. Each builder keeps moving the size of their largest model upward as there is more margin for them and the more well-heeled customer is still in the market. The good news for buyers of larger boats is that with more market demand you get newer models, better pricing, and more choices. Builders are focusing attention there.