Tim,

The question nobody has asked you is; How much do you wiegh???

"Beach Cats' can be very wieght sensitive .... While the H16 is an excellent first boat (and was my first beach cat), if you wiegh much over 200lbs you are too heavy for the boat and will be under-powered in light air ... The minimum crew wieght for a H16 is 285lbs total. I would suggest a TheMightyHobie18 ....

So, there is alot to learn and all the advise before is excellent ... try crewing for someone ... investigate the "local" sailing/racing scene for boat types, locations and conditions ... but most importantly .... HAVE FUN

Sail Flat, Sail Fast, Sail SAFE
Harry Murphey
H18Mag/#9458, Fleet 54/Div11
P19MX/#86, CRAC- Open Class