Thanks for all the input guys. I wasn't thinking resale value at all in this. I'm the type of guy who drives a car till its ready for the junk yard instead of trading it in every few years.

I had thought about the Blade F16 (I love the looks of that boat!) but in an email exchange with Phill last year he didn't think that would be the best choice for the type of sailing we do and suggested something bigger, around 20', might be a better option.

I haven't heard of the Blade F18 plans being available for homebuilders so the Tornado might be a good choice. I would probably build it with the swing boards. Although hitting a submerged rock four or five years ago and breaking 4" off a daggerboard did give me a chance to learn foam/glass/epoxy repair. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

As for foam/glass vs. ply/epoxy, which is actually lighter? I thought it was the ply but have no real reason to think that other than following projects such as the Blade that seem to work well in wood.