What Boat?

700 has very similar sail plan to musto doesnt it? it may even have a bigger main, im not sure.

Oh yer good point  

caveat all above with if you have about 2k+ to spend then.......

I think most of the advice ispretty sound,  At 58kilos with your experience i'd definatly go for a hiker for myself and try to get trping experience on others boats, i've always found 17 year old lasses never struggle to get offered sails in other peoples boats   I would clearly recommend the Byte it's tippier than the splash/Laser which will add some interest and teach you more about trim and balance, and has a far better rig than the europe/radial/spalsh/flash combined, and will give you the sort of experience in handling a modern rig you'll need if you move to the modern breed of singlehanders or skiffs. 

Originally posted by Black no sugar (mini Musto Skiff - would that be possible?? )

Vareo with a slightly bigger main and a trapeze. I'd buy one.

You might be able to borrow a Contender in a light day to get a feel for it. At 58 kgs, you are on the light end of the scales (I'm 60 kgs and 5ft8) and unlikely to handle a Contender in a blow, but you'd be trapezing in a Force 2, when all the lardy a*ses are still trying to get more power. Quite an advantage on the run too, especially in light winds (as much as I like them, Contenders are dead boring in those conditions). The thing that really matters is being able to right the boat from a turtle. I can usually make it (except last Wednesday, when I forgot to uncleat the kicker and the bl**dy thing inverted in no time and stayed there like a stone, doh ).

With practice, your handling skills will improve and you'll be able to depower the sail quickly in a gust. Besides, there are many ways to tune a Contender; you need to ask the good guys, they'll be happy to help. On mine, I have an old Goldspar mast with a very flexible tip, specially adapted for lightweights (by a previous owner in the mists of time).

If you want to have a single-hander trapeze, Contender's the best option, IMO. Don't listen to the bleating crowds telling you to go for a Topper or a 4.7 just because that's what they say in the book! If you enjoy it, you'll get better soon enough!!

I am lucky enough to have a Topper to play with when it's blowing a 5 or 6, in screaming reaches surfing the big waves - that's fun.   

Finally, if there are any boat builders reading this: why oh why there isn't a single hander with trapeze for lightweights? I am convinced a good design would attract plenty of customers, stuck between hiking boats or double-handers. And don't bring in that link to the Farr 3.7, cos I'd rather get a new boat build here than getting one shipped from NZ  

(mini Musto Skiff - would that be possible?? )