Would it be that simple, we could trade down for simpler, smaller boats that only have to sail well. I might be tempted to do that if I lived on a different stretch of water. A protected lake or broad marshy sound with gunkholes galore to explore and sail. I might be tempted to head out for a few hours, tie up to my dock at dusk, and call it a day.

But I live on a big notch on the coast of the Atlantic. Great sailing grounds for sure, but it's all 'big water' to me. You can avoid small craft warnings by sailing the weather, but you'll spend lots of time dealing with 10 to 20 knots of wind and the fetch the ocean will send you into this big notch. And you need to cover some big water to reach the varied sailing grounds around here. Piece of cake for Christmas.

When I lust over some of the old and new design daysailers available today, I realize I don't live in a good area to use one.
A gleaming fast splinter of a daysailer in my harbor, would be a gilded cage.