In 1973, I owned a small car that I thought was a sporty car. It was a Ford Pinto. I was 16 years old. My sister was dating this rich guy at the time with a brand new MG. He let me take it for a spin. Probably a mistake on his part, but my sister was very pretty!!! You guys know exactly what I did. And that car was awesome!

What's my point? Beginner boat vs F17. It was ..............like sailing a Hobie 16 compared to an F17. When I first got my F17, I was almost thrown overboard during tacks because of the boat's quick acceleration. It's an awesome boat! (Before the F17, I had 2 Hobie 16's and then a NACRA 6.0) If you can afford it, get the F17. Depower the thing and have a blast. You will not need to buy any other boat for a while.

And since I'm on here, every time that I have raced an F16, I have found that the boats have about the same speed. It usually comes down to the skipper's ability. Boat weight..........I repeat boat weight is not an issue. The sail area on the F17 is more than enough to compensate. Also, the extra weight and length makes the F17 better in distance races especially offshore.

Tom

Litespeed Vortex Dura-Ace Ksyrium SL3 Wheelset