Just to set things straight: I don't hate mono hulls any more than the next cat sailor ;-) My Opti-killer sub-title was meant as a joke. The point was that I would like to know if there is a cat that is : cheap, light and easy for a couple of kids. I'll definitely keep an eye on the F12 in this respect. (Waves are very rare in Europe though I think they would be almost ideal).

I have sailed mono hulls almost exclusively 'till almost two years ago. OTOH, maybe its like giving up smoking, the quitters themselves often turn into the most militant anti-smoking activists...

I just think Opti's are boxy, slow and ugly. I actually like lasers very much, so I certainly don't just hate all monohulls.

I'd love for my son and daughter to be able to blast across the surface the way only cats and surfboards really can.
Whenever I see kids in Opti's I get the impression they are either working hard or fighting (in any significant wind), kids on cats always just seem to be having fun! More like dancing than fighting. Besides cat sailing is certainly more socially engaging for kids because they hardly ever sail alone.

I guess there's really no substitute for the Optimist as a learner boat at the moment. When the time comes I'll see if I can build something for them myself. Maybe Richard Woods' Pixie would be suitable. Building a boat together sounds like the perfect male-bonding exercise. Either that or the basis of an eternal feud...