Which boat should i buy?

i'm currently selling my scorpion due to too much arguing with my crew who half owns the boat. Trouble is i cant decide what to buy...

I'm 17 fit and weigh about 10 1/4 stone. Have sailed loads of different classes at national level, (optimists, Laser 4.7, laser rad, 29er, rs 200, borrowed a 1991 rules cherub, rs 400, and of course my scorpion) so i dont think i'll struggle with the control factor of a high performance dinghy. I dont have a permanet crew at the moment so the boat either needs to attract one or be sailable with a random crew.

Boats on my current list are: Cherub, National 12, Int moth, B14, rs600 or anything else which will keep me entertained. I have a budget of £3k but i may be able to push it to £4k the boat must be of a suitable age/hull shape/rig to be raced competitivly at national level.

Only other factor affecting it is i sail on a 40 acre lake but Llandudno sc is only 30 mins away and bala is only 35 mins away but for me to travel the boat will have to be worth the effort.

Which boat should i get?

Why don't you sail the Laser Radial? There is excellent Youth training and a huge fleet to sailing against, I really would make the most of the RYA youth classes while you are still young!

The first three boats you mention are developing classes while the second two are one designs. You have a fair old mixture there! Personnally I think the B14 has a good and safe future and may well be your best bet... crew dependant!

The reason I mention the Radial is you are obviously the perfect weight for the class and if it is something you have raced already would be easy to get back into.

If you rare not sure which boat to get you can easily race a Radial without spending too much money and sell the boat just as easily afterwards.

The standard of the racing in lighter winds has improved a lot (although the starting hasn't)... I think you would be surprised.

Not sure about the comment about being unsociable, with hundreds of sailors there are plenty who are more about the social than the sailing, some who do both quite successfully and those who take it very seriously (remembering it is an Olympic class for the girls and for them money is at stake!) but to a certain extent this is true for any class...