As many of you know, Mr. & Mrs. Me are switching to multi's and are at the moment leaning towards an F18. We're debating recent vs. new, so my question is how sturdy are the boats? If someone's raced one for a few years, and is selling to buy new, how worn-out is the boat with which they're parting? Aside from obvious wear/tear/damage, anything in particular to look out for? Are some makes stronger than others? Bear in mind this won't be a racing boat for us, at least not for a good bit while we get up to speed on it's handling, so our expectation is we'd be able to happily learn cat sailing on one as-is at the time of purchase. We just want to know about any known issues with F18s that are no longer brand-new, especially if they're coming from an owner that's maintained it well but driven it hard. Thx!
As most others will say, they are strong. My last boat was sailed in all sorts of conditions in what is often a very choppy bay for 3 years on average 1.5 times a week (all year round) and was still going strong and winning races when I sold it a few months ago.
My main experience has been with Tigers but same goes for most F18's, the main thing is to check that the boat has been well cared for and (preferably) stored under a boat cover. With a 3yo boat I would be starting to replace some of the standing rigging (stays, trap wires, twist anchors etc) if they haven't already been done.
Cheers,
Tiger Mike
