16 stone male looking for a single hander

blatant pimp because i own one and so does my brother......600's rule!!

I'd have one over a contender anyday!! Although i do like the carbon rigs on the contenders.

But saying that i cant remember what the weight range is for either boat so i'm not too sure

You'll find few people with kind words to say about the Topaz*. It's really an object lesson in what happens when you set out to make a hull be both an unstayed single sail boat AND a three sail trapeze boat, AND fifteen different combinations in between.

*Theres some of the rest of the range, with different hulls, that are fine. I quite like, for what it is, the Taz.

The laser 3000 is an excellent boat to learn single handed trapezing on - it's pretty stable and easy to step in and out of when trapezing.  Also it has a kite to play with and room for a crew if the desire arises.  You can get one for under £1000 or spend up to £6000 for a spanking new lightweight one (like mine).

However, it was designed as a double hander and has a jib to contend with and doesn't work terribly well without it.   Also, though you can single hand one under class rules, there's no single handed circuit (yet).

The Vago has an active single handed race circuit, but it's a harder boat to single hand being wobblier and having a high freeboard to step out onto.  The 3000 is somewhat quicker too.

The Topper Buzz is another single handable double hander, like a 3000 but bigger (much wider & more sail area). Heavy.

As for the topaz .. never really heard anything good about it.  Sails too small to be fast, hull too narrow to keep the small sails upright I believe.

In truth, as the man says, no hybrid single / double hander will work quite so well as a designed for purpose single hander - but as no-one makes an "easy" to sail trapeze single handed asymetric with space for the ocassional extra body, I have the V3000.

You don't make life easy!!  Most concerns expressed relate to the potential situation of running before I walk or a proverb of a similar ilk.  I can concur with that and that is where I am debating internally as to whether I should step back before I step forward or as James had indicated sail within the boundaries of the class prior to progressing further.  I will keep my ears to the ground or eyes on the screen as everything appears to be internet based these days.  Any suggestions?

Can I confirm that the best websites are the class associations, boats and outboards and appollo duck with a smidgeon of boat trader?