Oz wrote:

Yep, a few mates sons are sailng them..and spending a fortune on
maintenance.
They actually balance quite well in light air, big flat bottom helps.

The guys I've seen sailing them must not be very good then. I found the
I-14 to be surprisingly easy to balance in light air, I'd kind of like
to try a Moth.

Its a funny thing but Oz is very different to EU and the US. We have
lots of this style of boat and far less of the heavy barges like 420.
The 49er really isn't outstanding in that bunch, It was just favoured
because Bethwaite(IMHO) had a quiver of contacts.

The 420 may be a bit heavy, but give it 15 20 knot winds and it's not a
barge at all.... the one thing I dislike about them is the way they dip
the transom corner when tacking and scoop up a wheelbarrow load of
water. The 420 is the most common trainer over here and a very common
intercollegiate boat. FWIW it's much better than the FJ (sad to say, and
I used to own & race FJ's).

I'd agree that most US sailors are a bit backwards looking. The
mainstream here runs to either party barges or Cape Horn wanna-bees. Sad.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King