I think the 'what carrier group was best' is a whole fantasy fleets thread best left unpopulated!
However, on a more serious note, it is quite interesting to do some research into RN carrier groups since WW2 - from what I've found, the largest group we had was rarely above 30 aircraft (plus a small number of helos) and in reality a lot lower, particularly for the post war light fleets, which by the early 60s were so constrained by jet growth that they struggled to embark 17-20 jets.
When you consider that the RN in the late 1990s was putting out 16 Harriers (both GR7/FA2) with an excellent AD capability in the form of Blue Fox / AMRAAM, plus a good strike ability with GR7, backed up by excellent ASW pinglies, and a reasonable AEW presence, I would argue that the RN had been able to deliver a consistent level of carrier strike capability and availability since the 1950s. More importantly, given this consistency, the desire to obtain CVF to get a 'grown up carrier' seems ever more foolish - we're safeguarding the carrier to get a capability to deploy jets in numbers not seen at sea for over 60 years by the time the carrier is worked up. If the RN had been more pragmatic and settled on a smaller carrier, one cant help but wonder if the fleet would look a little more balanced today?
While the RN likes to make out that the entire world came to an end in 1966, the reality is that RN carrier aviation has since WW2 operated at roughly similar levels of hull availability (broadly 2 carriers plus an LPH, plus others in refit) and similar levels of airgroup capability. The RN at its utter zenith of post war carrier air power in roughly late 59/60 only had 3 light fleet carriers actually active, capable of embarking around 60 jets, but in reality given refits and work up patterns, its likely that only 1 or 2 was actually worked up.
Good account of RN carrier groups size can be found here -
Royal Navy Aircraft Carriers Part 3