I do not know if you are planning to buy a new one or a used one. If you are planning on a new one you make just consider getting a used Formula 16 instead. You do not have to sail it with a chute or even a jib and it is very easy for one person to right. I think that Rick has an ad for one at less than $9000.

A Nacra 500 performs about how a Hobie 16 does. I was just involved with a youth multihull clinic. We had a couple of Nacra 500s about 6 Hobie 16s and an SL16. I would guess that the 450 being about 2 feet shorter would perform more along the lines of a Hobie 14. I would say that is just barely a step above the wave.

What are you trying to accoplish with this purchase? For tooling around the Wave is a good boat. For more performance, non-racing of course, then...?

Another easily righted boat would be an A-Cat. Sometimes you can find them for under $10K and that is a ride!

Later,
Dan