The Telstar sails really well on all points. She has 525 sq ft of sail normally. We added an Asymmetrical Spinnaker, and we plan to add a Screecher. The boat has an extendable bowsprit for flying the Spinnaker and Screecher.
The tiller extended through about 3/4 of the cockpit. I, and many other owners, shortened it shortly after we began to sail it.
The winches are 2 speed, self-tailing. The primary winches are on the cabin top. I thought I and my wife would not like it. However, it places the winches and the person grinding them out of the way, so we have realized we like it! The genoa sheets have to be turned on blocks at the forward end of the stern pulpit to run true to the winches without rubbing on the cabin sides. The boat came with a 150 genoa. It is huge. My wife and I have both noted that we could use larger winches.
The boom is end-sheeted which I like. It keeps the main sheet out of the way. The traveler arcs around the transom. It is long. However, it comes with pin stops, which I dislike. I rigged line controls for the traveler car by our third sail.
The spinnaker sheets are led outboard of the boat to turning blocks on the stern quarter of the outriggers. There is no winch for them, although I suppose you could just grind them on the primary winches. I cleat them on horn cleats just aft of the traveler on the stern. I am new to the Spinnaker, so that may change with experience. We had the boat going 9 mph on a broad reach under Spinnaker last week , and it was still easy to tack.
The boat is LIGHT. When the genoa catches the wind, you can actually feel acceleration! So far, everyone who has felt it says, "wooohoooo!"
We have had the boat up to 14 mph. Compared to my 272, that is blindingly fast. Sailing on a 1 mile wide lake means you do a lot more work than sailing a slower boat. I guess we could reduce sail and go slower. Really? Haha!
The boat sails backward better than any boat I have ever sailed. That is because it will easily stall in a turn. It has no momentum. You have to be careful not to turn too hard. I usually come through the turn well past my point and then trim as I point up again. As you point up, she takes off!
The boat will fly a hull in 10 knots of wind. She only heels about 5-8 degrees to do it. I don't even have an inclinometer on it. She doesn't get weather helm. When the wind blows harder, she just goes faster. I have not had her round up, but I haven't been hit by a really big gust yet.
She is stable. At the dock, she moves a fraction of the other boats in any waves. In the water, she doesn't roll like a monohull. She stays flat when taking swells, chop, or wake from any direction other the bow or stern. Even then she stays pretty calm.
She is a wet boat. In a swell, you can get spray over the outriggers.
The interior is pretty nice. It is smaller, but we modified it to have a queen bed in the salon. We installed a bigger sink, electric water pump, water bladder in the stern to replace the tank, and we removed the head and holding bladder to remove the weight and simplify. We use a portable toilet which in our experience we rarely use at the lake.
In all, we are happy we made the switch. My wife tells me she is relieved that we can sail with no heel. She said she is not nervous for the first time. I am happy too! The speed alone is really cool. Additionally, the boat turns heads!
Thanks!