And welcome to the sport! Doesn't look like anyone jumped up to reply to your questions. Drop me an e-mail at williamsjohn@cox.net and we'll take the conversation off line for simplicity's sake - I think we'll need to get you in touch with other cat sailors in your area, and I'm sure I can point you to a lot of on-line resources for boat research. The Multihull Championship will be on Long Island Sound out of Rowyton, CT in June on Hobie 16s. There will be a lot of great sailors there that I know would enjoy talking to you, AND I think all of the boats are for sale as well. If nothing else, you can see what a spanking new race-ready 16 looks like, and see what to look for in a used boat.