[quote=davefarmer]Like Dennis says, we need more info on budget and how you plan to sail. Lots of older cats can be sailed solo in light to moderate breezes, but if you want to right it solo, you need a lightweight boat like an A cat or F16. And solo righting is important if your sailing in places and conditions where outside assistance isn't assured. And lightweight boats are less durable(requiring more care launching and retreiving), and more expensive. I can't think of any performance cats that have unstayed masts, not sure about the Weta(which is a very trick design, nicely executed, and new enough that there aren't a lot of them on the used market yet. About $10K new). The A cat is mainsail only, and therefore easy to rig, and still very high performance due to the light weight and sophisticated rig. Older glass and kevlar boats start around $5K if you can find one, occasionally wood As show up for less. F16s are a newer class, designed for either solo or 2 up sailing, with spinnaker, and they're fast and fun. But newer, and therefore more expensive($6K and up), and spin systems require quite a bit more set up time.
If you want to race, you'd be wise to look around your area and see what classes are nearby. You ask for a small, fast boat, but at 2oo+ lbs I don't think you want to look at anything smaller than 16'. Too little bouyancy and you'll be pressing the leeward hull pretty deep in the water when powered up, producing a fair amount of drag. Similar consideration for 2 up sailing, probably 18' minumum, with serious racers in the 400+ lb teams going to 20' boats.
So tell us more about your sailing experience, and expected use. You're currently asking for a mix of features that are a bit in conflict(simplicity of rigging, high payload, and performance).
Dave
F16 Stealth
F18 HT
18 sq
Boyer A
ARC 22
Flight Risk[/quote]
