Nacra is far from a dirty word. They make great boats, there just aren't as many of them out there as the Hobie 16's, 18's, etc. I have owned and raced several Nacras. For an entry-level race boat from Nacra, I'd get a Nacra 5.2, or maybe a 5.5 depending on budget. The 5.5 is going to be much more expensive, and more fragile than the 5.2, or a Hobie 16 for that matter...