Fron my experience:

I started on a H-16 (1978) with my wife. When she didn't want to race anymore, I started looking for a single-handed boat (1985). I tried the H-14 and H-14T, but with me at 200#, I didn't like them. I bought a Nacra 18 Square (stock) and raced it for the next 6 years. This boat was a dream to sail, but it was a pain to assemble/disassemble for every time I went sailing (it is 11' wide). By 1991, our club (CRAM) had gone through a fleet of H-17s and they were mostly sold or traded-in for the Nacra 5.5 Uni. This is an 8.5' wide version of my 18 Square with a smaller mainsail. I sold the 18 Sq. and bought a Uni, a class I stayed in until the release of the Inter 17R in 2000. The Uni is a Great boat...it always made me look forward to rounding "C" Mark and going back upwind. The Inter 17R goes upwind like the Uni but with a balanced helm. This boat is really easy to over control. Any input to steering and it goes immediately...like the difference between driving my motorhome (Nacra) and a go kart (Inter)! I really prefer the go kart! The biggest difference is that now I really look forward to rounding "A" Mark and putting up the spinnaker for that ride downwind! WAY MORE FUN THAN ANY CAT SAILING HAS BEEN BEFORE!!!!

In the end, I wouldn't trade my Inter 17R for any boat on the market, whether racing or just sailing for fun! I tried the A-Boat (broke the mast the first time I went over), and H-17 (talk about a truck, it had more weather helm than the Nacra!), and the Super Cat 18 (I liked the Nacra 18 Sq. better), and owned many of the others. The two people I talked to about the Hobie FX One had sailed it and the I-17R. They said they both preferred the Inter 17R, "no contest". I have Cat Trax and handle the I-17R by myself on the beach. It is the best of the best, IMO.

As final note, CRAM's first regatta was this weekend, and there were more Unis than any other class. There were 4 I-20s, 2 Nacra F-18s, an I-18, a Tiger, 4 I-17Rs, 3 N5.8NAs, 5 N5.5Us, 3 H-16s, a H-18, a H-17 and an A-Boat(WaterRat). Great fun and lots of sun!