Jeff,

Thanks very much for talking the time to write your review.

My graduation to the Tiger was via a Hobie 18 Magnum, then a Hobie 18SX with spinnaker. We put the spinnaker on the 18SX, thinking it would give us the opportunity to learn how to fly it for a season before we bought a Tiger. With hindsight I would now have gone straight from the Hobie 18 to the Tiger - handling the spinnaker is much easier with a mid pole snuffer system than a bag launch, particularly in a recreational situation. A spinnaker bag also takes up a chunk of real estate on the tramp.

The Tiger is an absolute joy to sail in comparison to the older boats, particularly tacking. We did a distance race on the 18SX that involved over 70 tacks up a narrow channel, and my crew was mutinous by the end of that experience. On the Tiger all they have to do is swap sides, and the tramp is so clean there is nothing to get hung up on or scratch yourself.

And spinnakers on a beach cat? We were talking about that down the beach yesterday - once you have a 'chute it is very hard to imagine life without it (apart from an A-Cat). Much easier to handle than I expected - and versatile over a really wide wind range.

Go Tigers!

Chris.