Hello Surf



All of the boats that you are considering are great boats and match their niche pretty well. You are comparing apples to oranges. There is NO perfect boat that does it all. Your problem is that you need to decide what kind of sailing you want to do right now and how long you would plan to keep the boat coupled with what kind of depreciation you can accept.



I suggest that you start with a decent used boat that suits your needs and sail it for a year. You will have a much better idea of what you are looking for then. You won't loose too much cash when you sell.... Also... your preferences will mature and evolve over time (that's what boat shows are all about). (your wife may LOVE to sail and that A cat just won't cut it... unless you plan to purchase two of them)



Remember, your first boat will suffer your growing pains. You will screw up and thrash the boat... As your skill improves...the boat will take less of a beating.



I always recomend that new cat sailors start with a 16 or 18 foot boat and then work up if you want more performance. Every sailor knows of somebody who purchased a performance boat that was WAY over their ability to handle it. The sea is unforgiving and won't care that you are just learning. Frequently, they have a bad to terrible experience, live through it and never sail the boat again.



Take Care

Mark