59er v rs400

my dad and me are looking for the thrills and spills of skiff sailing without to much work. We've been looking at the rs400 because it has a good racing circiut and club racing at our club.

But, we went to this years dinghy show and saw the 59er. It looked like a really well sorted boat, the PY is around 905 so its pretty fast.

does anyone have any opinions on which one to go for?

I'm in agreement with Stefan.  You can't make a boat go fast without using some energy.  The 400 is extremely hard work in a breeze and being an asymmetric that means upwind and down.  Boats with conventional spinnakers can be a bit less energetic downwind - but then they aren't going so fast through the water.

I too wouldn't consider a 400 a skiff, fine boat that it is.  Whatever you do don't buy a 59er if they sail 400s at your club.

Jim C , you say 400 never seem to go that fast !!, I don't sail them , rather I sail fast boats with hull assisted stability , ie two , of twin wire variety and be spinnakered and I gnow fast,(when not out in the ole heron) your comments seem slightly off.

 I have seen 400's on countless windy days - when they excell because of their easily managed smaller sail areas , infact one regatta they were pacing cats offwind - absolute honking flat water , as for "Skiffs" all fell over so frequently they hadn't a look in , nor when they where upright signifcarntly fester.

400's must have been hitting high teens of gnotts if not in 20's , Cherub must be fastest mono out if its doubling that ,

They  certainly are very different boats with widely differing performance envelopes , the Cherub certailly kicks off first , but the 400 is no slouch given wind .