Hi Jerry.
I have owned 2006 C22 Sport #15582 since Fall 2005, and I really like the boat.
About 200 Sports have been built since 2004.
A C22 Sport has finished as high as 2nd place in the Nationals - Gold/Championship Fleet. See 2017, hull # 15566.
catalina22.org
Note - the winner in 2017 is also a ten-time C22 national champion.
However, the Sport has not yet proven that it can win a national championship against the many early 70s boats. A well-tuned Sport in the hands of a racing experienced skipper with a well-coordinated crew should do well at the national level. In winds above 10 mph, the Sport should sail on par with the early hulls. In light wind, the Sport will not likely keep up with the early hulls that are light weight or have a swing keel that weighs a LOT less than 550 pounds.
I have won at least one C22 regional regatta and placed in several more when I was more actively racing the Sport.
Today, I am mostly doing local club racing in my Sport, and I consistently take first place in the PHRF fleet and regularly beat boats with a much lower PHRF rating (in the 220s and low 230s), often boat-on-boat and without time given to me. I am also using a PHRF=264 where standard is 270 in many areas.
A Sport has potential to be very competitive, but it will take time to tune it properly as it does not sail in a manner that the early boats do. The Sport is a much more "stiffer" boat than the original model.
The build quality of the Sports, especially after 2010, is very good - better than the first generation of Catalina 22.
The fiberglass-encased swing keel is great (less maintenance), the longer and wider cockpit is a treat. Although very similar on deck/cockpit to a Capri, the Sport does not have a traveler in mid-cockpit.
Good luck with whatever decision you may make,
-Rich
