I had all the same items on my wish list as you, and purchased a new Hobie FX-1. it was a VERY tough choice with the same exact boat, the Taipan 4.9. In the end I felt the Hobie was better overall, though just my opinion. I went with the jib option versus the spinnaker (my personal belief is that spinnakers may be detrimental to the sport, but that's a topic for a different thread). I've attached a photo. In summary, I leaned towards the Hobie (after not owning a Hobie since 1989, after which I had 3 Nacra's) for the following reasons: 1. Felt there was a better chance of a growing class with the FX-1. (Especially now that the Hobie 17 is out of production). Even if you are not racing, there IS strength in numbers, better re-sale, etc. 2. The FX-1 was more "conventional" - the mast is stepped from the rear while boat still attached to the trailer, sail is hoisted with a halyard... 3. It looks nicer
Of course, to be fair, there were cons too: 1. At 170 lbs you will just barely be able to right the FX-1 yourself. The daggers are long and strong enough to stand on, so you can skip the pole systems (which I tried and found about the same as standing on the boards).
2. The FX-1 is heavier than the Taipan4.9 by about 80 lbs. (Bit it's also bigger).
You shouls also consider a used or new Nacra 5.5 Uni (which is the same platform as the two-person Nacra 5.5SL), and also the Nacra 5.0 and Mystere 5.0 which are excellent entry level single and two-person boats.
Feel free to contact me offline, and we can discuss more over the phone....
