I think you are right on the money with the Hobie 16 as long as you and your wife aren't too heavy. The H-16 is relatively inexpensive, there are plenty of them to race against and most regattas even have separate starts for novices to get you going. These are strong boats that you can thrash around on, repairs are easy and there are plenty of parts available on ebay. You can launch and run this boat by yourself when crew is not available. Good Luck & Have Fun!