Initial observations are that it won't point as high to weather. I could actually watch the F18s lift to weather in puffs, the 18 didn't. The chute is not quite right so downwind speed wasn't comparable. If there had been a green f18 crew there we would have been more able to compare. We raced against the best F18 crews in our region Nigel Pitt, Rick Harper, Jake Kohl, David Lennard, Dave Mosley and Lloyd Graves. My wife had never sailed this boat with the spin or the self tacker installed. She looks great but isn't very strong so the chute and flukey wind wore her out quickly. We actually parked in the middle of the first race and practiced her trap disengagement technique, after almost capsizing because she couldn't get disconnected. It was a learning experience for both of us.