Selecting an 18Footer

HEllo,
I am looking for an 18FT cat to go sailing with my wife. I come from skiffs and big boats but have little cat experience. She is learning to sail and loving it. We weigh in at a combined 160kg. I am looking for your recommendations for an F18 that will progress with us and be fun without kicking us off at the slightest mistake.
What are the favorites out there for those not yet into racing?

Can a 16 footer be an option? Where do you plan on sailing?

Hi,
The f18 class is the place to be right now. Its the biggest by far and fastest growing class. There are fleets all over the place so lots of people to sail with. There are lots of used boats out there and you can always sell the boat if you decide later its not for you. At 160kg, you would fit right into a boat perfectly. Don't buy an f16 unless you want to sail by yourself.

at least you could wait until someone rattles the F16 cage. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

All the F18s are going to behave similarly so as it comes to selecting one, it really comes down to personal preference. Since you do have skiff experience, any cat is going to feel extremely stable and predictable...you will be pleasantly surprised.

I would recommend finding and getting in touch with a local fleet and doing some sailing on the various boats to really get a feel for what you want to look for.

My advice is to start on a decent secondhand F18 like a Tiger. nacra F18n and older Capricorns will be fine too. Try to stay away from truly oldies like the Mystere Twister and Dart Hawk. I personally feel the Hawk is a very good basic design but it will need upgrades to make it competitive and selling a Hawk is rather difficult as most people think it is an uncompetitive boat.

Once you decide you like F18 class sailing then the time has come to consider a new boat.

Wouter

hi,

with your weight you're right in the "sweet spot" for a formula 18 cat. it is true that it actually does not realy matter if you chose a tiger, capricorn or a nacra f18.

i dont know where you live. if you live near the netherlands and you would like to take a look at my nacra f18 (2004), which is for sale, let me know.