In the spring of 1992 I had purchased Sail Magazines special issue on Sailboats and equipment. My children came running to me and showed me the Macgregor that was listed. I couldn't believe that we could buy a 26 foot boat that would sleep 6 (there are 5 in our family), was trailerable, and was under $20k. I began researching the issue. I went to all the local boat stores, including the local Macgregor dealer, and saw all that was available. The Macgregor was by far the best value. My only hold-up was the water ballast system. The clincher was the local Hunter dealer telling me that if I would wait for several months, Hunter had a 23 foot water ballast coming out. This convinced me that not only was the water ballast system good, Macgregor was way ahead of the rest of the industry. It turned out that Catalina was coming out with a 26 foot water ballasted boat also, but they were way behind. I ordered the boat in the summer of 1992 and recieved it in the fall of that year. I found that the boat was much more than I had thought. It was easy to sail, very forgiving, and it was very fast for a trailerable sailboat. It pointed well and responded well to the helm. With the water ballast it was very stable even in heavy seas (got caught out in a sudden storm in Matagorda Bay with 30 to 40 knot winds) and easy to launch, retrieve, and tow. The dealer has always been VERY helpful on any questions or problems that I've had. After gathering great experience in sailing through the fall, in the winter of 1993 I entered a race at the Houston Yacht Club and was cheered to get a fifth place trophy (my first race). We have towed the boat to the Florida keys, "damned the torpedoes" on Mobile Bay, and had a great time on many of the lakes in our area. Thus, My purchase was carefully researched after the emotional discovery of a great boat for relatively small prices. Would I do it again?? Absolutely! Carter Taylor Houston, Texas