Hi Dave,

Being in Melbourne you are lucky to have the option to try all three boats that you mentioned before you buy.

After sailing all 3 I decided on the blade partly because of the superior build quality of the boat but mainly because at my weight 98kg I knew I needed the lightest possible boat I could get. The thought of being 25-30kg over before i even step on the boat wasn't appealing to me.

My uneducated opinion is choose

- taipan to get into the class quite cheaply, and if you want the option of sailing one design as well
- viper to get a good new boat at a reasonably good price but know that you are carrying a large weight penalty.
- homebuilt blade if you enjoy that sort of thing, however I don't think you will save massive amounts of money
- FCA blade if you want the best at the minimum weight.

There are claims that the Viper can carry heavier weight because of it's higher hull volume but after my test sail I'm not sure.

Disclaimer: I am getting an FCA blade, and will be seeing Marcus from Formula Catamarans Australia, on the weekend and he is bigger than me!!