A-class is for sure a great boat-- expensive, but so are the 2 handed heavyweights. I just turned 40. I see all my friends who had Nacra6.0s in their late 20s and 30s, have jumped to A-cats:
- They have better jobs and can afford A-cats (even as the price escalates)
- They have less time and want boats that need less setup and not not need more people as crew.
- They love the idea that crew weight and general fitness are no longer key differentiators.
Our fleet is nearly 100% Bim2000s (fiberglass, minimum weight, carbon rig). For my money, carbon mast is a "must have" and unfortunately one of the most expensive and delicate parts of the boat. Other parts such as sails are often cheaper than class (Hobie, Nacra) boats because of their lighter weight and strong competition in the market. Fiberglass hulls are still made by Bimmarree (but not Vectorworks-- the USA producer of the same boats). Even though they have the same shape and weight, few buy them-- carbon boats stay stiffer longer and how can you spend so much money and not get the "cool material" all around (it is like ordering a BMW M5 without the alloy rims)
Bottom line: 1999-2002 Bimm/Vectorworks or Boyer/Flyer with Carbon mast is regularly sailed condition is a great entry level boat. For $1500 more, you could probably get a 2001-2004 similar boat with carbon hulls and still have an affordable entry level boat. Older, wooden or very cheap A-cats may not be such a good deal because their ultra lightweight constructions means they do not hold up well to long term abuse-- high risk you spend too much time and money keeping it on the water. (it is not like rescuing an old Hobie 16)
Finally, despite a wildly fantastic A-class world championship, few people attending/watching were buying boats after/during like previous years so I heard. I suspect the lack of a new dominant design/technology combined with the fact that most A-class boats in the USA are already carbon/carbon and holding up well combined with Euro/$USD sticker shock.... IMHO With continued, increasing class interest, this could start making entry boats expensive as new supply of used boats slow down. I would not wait for better deals if I found a good entry level boat at a fair price.
