Have you checked out the US Taipan Catamaran Sailing Association USTCSA website? We have a list of many of the Taipan 4.9 / F16HP sailors in the US. There is a Taipan 4.9 owner near Little Rock, Arkansas that is not list but may be close enought to where you live. I can contact him to see if he would be available and willing to show you the boat and maybe let you take it for a test drive.

As far as contacting Kirk Newkirk, he use to be a dealer for the Taipan 4.9 but I believe he no longer sells them or at least that is what he told me.

Two considerations when selecting a boat are the wind conditions you normally sail in and your weight. I weigh 145 lbs and can sail my Taipan uni rigged with spinnaker comfortably up to maybe 12 mph. Over that and it becomes an accident waiting to happen. I can sail the Taipan with spinnaker with crew maybe up to 20 mph. This past weekend at the Taipan 4.9 Nationals I sailed without spinnaker in winds that were gusting over 25 mph with a combined weight of around 265 lbs (we were the lightest crew sailing). The winners of the event were around 315 lbs. I don't know what the ideal weights are for the other boats you are considering, but you should consider these before making a selection.

Send me a private message if you would like more information on the Taipan 4.9

Jennifer Lindsay
Taipan 4.9/F16HP #262