An old rule of thumb - "The boat should be as long in feet as your age in years."

The ideal boat to learn on is a small dinghy - perhaps 12 feet. On a boat like this
you'll do as many maneuvers (tacking, jibing, etc.) in an afternoon as some cruisers do
in a season. However, if you're older you may not be comfortable in a small boat. Many
sailing schools instruct in small keel boat, 19 to 26 feet - they are small enough to have
a "small boat feel" and large enough that its easy to get around the cockpit without
feeling like the boat is going to capsize.

-j

"Todd" none wrote in message ...
This is an awfully loaded question (and one stemming from complete
ignorance), but is there a general consensus within the sailing community as
to a size and type of sailboat that a novice should learn on if one is
thinking of purchasing a boat?

tia.

Todd.