I love my 26X, it is perfect.
Mike (Wanna Be Sailor) Don't we all want to be sailors, and yet we all probably are, just at different levels. As far as my level goes, I started with windsurfers when I was 14, moved on to Lasers, raced Alpha 14's at Western Washington University, Crewed on a Cat in Maui one summer and now have owned a 26X for 2 years. I currently live in KC, so we go to numerous lakes to sail. The ease of putting together and taking apart the 26X is one of the reasons we purchased her. I can rig it in a little under an hour and de-rig it in 1 and a half hours. Perfect for my uses. As far as sailing goes, I love it. It sails into the wind as well as anyone else on the lake. I have a good friend that I sail around with that has a Hunter 26. In light and Medium winds he has the advantage, but over 15 knots I can hold my own and even beat him. Downwind it kicks ass because of it's planning ability and because you can pull up the center board and a rudder to reduce drag. To me though, the jorney is the fun, so speed isn't a factor. I only have the 100% jib. If I wanted to go faster I would have purchased the Genoa I suppose. If I am in a hurry to get some where I just power up. I can beat any sailboat on the lake to any location. Sailing is a joy, and my wife and boys love it. It continues to give my family great memories. The reduced cost in upkeep is another great advantage. While everyone else is tweaking their boat, or treating their teak, I am out sailing. I think a lot of people dig on the Mac because they are either traditonalists, have a narrow mind or feel like they got screwed because of what they have versus what they could of had. Crabby