StewartDouglas:

My recommendation from what you have said it go with the Formula 18. You will never look back. It is a great choice! There are more than 15 manufacturers of Formula 18s in the World. There are two that are most popular in the US. They are the Nacra and the Hobie. There are others making inroads, Capricorn and VectorWorks. I good used Hobie Tiger or Nacra F18 can run you about $8,000 to $9,000. New you are looking at $15,000 or so.

The Formula 18s are the "talk of the town" right now and should remain so for quite a while. Fun, Fun, Fun!!!

Why a more expensive Formula 18 than a Hobie 16 or 18?
First is the weight issue. The 16 really likes to sail light, you are already about 35 lbs too heavy.
Second is resale. You will have a boat that is competitive in a class that is growing if you decide to upgrade to a new one. There are plenty of dealers that are looking for used Formulas, reasonably priced, for newbies.
Third is that it does not matter if you have a dedication to a manufacturer as all the boats are sailing very competitively against each other. This is a really well thought out "box rule" class.

If you are looking to get into a cheaper used boat I think a friend of mine wants to get a brand new one and sell his used one. He is near you. (Rick will get his money)

As someone mentioned it is not typically known as a throw the mast up and go boat, but there are ways to make it easier to setup. I will be glad to help you with some of those ideas when you decide.

Later,
Dan