Hello Drew-



Having raced in the Bay [1970s] on "B" & "C" Cats I can tell you its waters are cold and there are large fish [Great White Shark Schooling grounds in Sesuin Bay] that can break and or capsize a small cat. There are suits to keep you dry/warm but the constant 45F water temp makes for a chilly sail. If your wife is going to crew for you she had better be strong... the winds really howl out there and the fog rolls in almost everyday around 2:00pm. which makes for some interesting experiences.



There's a reason why Ian's designs are sailed worldwide!!! They work and are reliable and the less expensive ones hold their value because of the active sailing worldwide. Also they trailer easily and go together in about an hour. If you are seriously interested go to the FCA site and read the posts. This site has more experience thats freely given and Ian answers questions as well.



To give you an example of how helpfull Ian is: When I bought my F25c the survey showed some cracks in the putty fill around two aka arms where they meet the ama. My insurance agent balked because he thought they were structural [like a Corsair]. I was in Denver on Sunday to pick up the boat when I got the email "no insurance until the stress - structural damage was repaired and boat resurveyed". I emailed Ian [with pics] to find out what repairs he thought would be needed. He responded that Sunday night with an analysis of the cracks that said the cracks were not structural like a Corsair would be. That the F25c was constructed differently and the cracks were most likely surface cracks that happen when freezing temperatures occur... This saved my deal.



I would go for a F241 for the bay area. The waves are strong and the spray is cold. This boat is a little wet but its fairly quick and fun to sail. If you want to wait for the F22 and get on a list with some builder you could trade it in when the boats completed. At least that way you could be sailing while you wait...



Hope this helps,

thom