I can't speak for all available plans on the internet, but I can speak for the Taipan and Blade F16 building plans. Also a bit for the F12 plans. F12 plans are all free-of-charge currently and the designers don't care much who uses them; basically those plans are freeware. Taipan and Blade F16 plans cost 250 bucks and the copyright owners don't mind whether you build boats as a small homebuilding group (TOGETHER with your neighbours). It only becames a different matter when you build boats and then market it to "unfamiliar" buyers. Because then you are becoming a (one man) company who builds boat with full intent for commercial exploitation.

Cost savings ? Think More in the order of 10-20%. My own homebuild costed me 12.000 Euro's (incl. all taxes and that sort of high markups for EU based persons) upon completion where now I can buy a brand new fully fitted VWM Blade F16 for 14.250 Euro's. 16 % cost savings, although in my case I couldn't buy a ready to sail F16 as the class had only been formed weeks before the building of my F16 commenced. So I didn't have a choice.

When put to the question again then I'm not sure whether I wouldn't just buy a F16. 2.250 Euro difference (16%) is not much money considering you'll be spending many hours on homebuilding it; say 150-250 hours in total. You can just as well get a second job as bar tender in the evening or shop assistent in the weekends start and just buy the same package.

You should homebuild because you want to enjoy that experience or alter the design significantly, not because of any perceived financial gains.

Wouter