Difficult Boat Choice

MerlinMags

May I suggest that you contact the dinghy cruising association. Their website has a great deal of information regarding suitable boats.

I think a Weta  could tick all the boxes, albeit it's a left field suggestion.
Very stable, no boom, quick when you want it to be, light and simple to rig. Narrow cockpit that your wife can stay in or move out of as she becomes more confident.

http://www.wetamarine.co.uk/

Originally posted by Skelpagb Hi My wife and I would like to take up dinghy or day boat sailing. Our aim is to potter round some inland lakes with a picnic (we don't want to race) Unfortunately my wife had a serious accident some years ago and has a serious and chronic back condition together with a badly damaged knee and is generally limited to walking about 50 meters using a stick Our key criteria for picking a boat are Easy to rig, launch and recover by one novice (while wife offers helpful comments from the shore) Light enough to be towed by a 1.6 Astra Low maintenance Stable ( I appreciate that any small boat can be a handful in gusty weather but I want something that won't bite in good weather) Boom height high enough to prevent too much stooping for my wife while out sailing Large enough to allow us to keep a picnic on board  We've looked at a number of boats but have questions about each and would welcome your thoughts....wanderers (bit small?), wayfarer (too heavy to launch solo?), skipper 17 ( too heavy to launch solo, too heavy to tow with the Astra?) Target price £5000 and max £10,000 Thanks

I think that depends on your size of 'inland lake' and your level of 'benign weather', also what can be easily launched by one person at one place can be a challenge at another. Also, how grand a picnic you have in mind :-)

Also are we talking inland lake with total safety boat cover, or being entirely self reliant? Or somewhere in between?

FWIW, when I was about 7 we used to do all that with an Enterprise, towed behind a Mini 850 and also took it on the sea and caught mackeral. Were the nice days nicer then? It's quite possible to sail most sensible dinghies in F3 or less, with the second person not doing much moving around.
Any of the trad classes like Gp14 or Wanderer might be OK, but a heavier boat such as a Drascombe or Stratos might be OK in a bit more wind. I  would advise trying something out with an able person crewing to see what suits you. Ask sellers to take you out, or chat to sailing schools and ask for a taster. It's very hard to say definitively 'x will be fine for you' unless we understand exactly what you want. I suspect I'd rather see you spend on a weekend or two of courses to try different boats than see you relieved of your cash at the boat show.

Having re-read what I've written, it is not meant to sound condescending or knock other people's suggestions,
Good Luck with your quest..

PS Laser 2000? RS Vision?

RS Venture? Pretty pricey, but it looks like a really nice boat that would be perfect for your needs. :)