Good LORD! Will you guys knock it off with the old and tired "my boat is better than yours" crap? I've beaten plenty of boats with my 04 Nacra including Tigers and Infusions, and I've also been beaten by plenty of them as well as identical boats of the same heritage.

You will not go wrong with one F18 or the other - including the older boats. In fact, a boat that has some sails with some age on them (and hence, a lower price) is probably the way to go since you guys are not focused on racing (yet!). When you get serious for racing, dress the boat in some new fabric and you'll have a competitive F18 platform no matter what you choose.