Jeff,



I have had the opportunity to sail both boats and compare them head to head. Basically, the BIM 16 is the better singlehander (by a lot) and the Taipan is a better doublehander.



When singlehanding the Bim benefits from its A-Cat carbon mast and rig. The mast is a beautiful two piece unit by RIBA and has been reinforced to accommodate the spinnaker. RIBA builds Ferrari's F-1 car chassis. The boat is nearly as fast as an A-Cat upwind and faster downwind, so its handicap is a gift!



Upwind the Bim is a singlehanded rocket and downwind it is beatifully balanced. When doublehanding in 10 knts or more, the Bim is great, however I found it underpowered in the light stuff for two people (sailed with combined weight of 340 lbs) when going upwind. It was fine with two people once the spinnaker was up.



The Taipan is also a great little boat that really goes. The boat with the jib was better than the BIM in light air, however the helm was poorly balanced under spinnaker. I think that the daggers need to be moved forward to counter the lee helm caused by the spin moving the CE forward. With two people, this little boat is a hoot to sail.



Both boats are well made and should hold up well. I would go with the boat that you can get the best deal on. Either boat will make you happy.