ask an M owner?
Sandsman, Take time to ask about Macgregor's from their owners. If you enjoy racing, it's not your boat,and many sailors are daysailors, and racers. If You have family , and are on a budget, need headroom and plan on overnites it can be a great choice. The extra 5-7 thousand dollars is for the motor. You can buy a cheap used 40 hp for 1500.00 the first year if necc.Mac X & M's don't point well, but sail fine on a beam reach or downwind. I can have mine in the water in 30 minutes. I can't afford to store it in a marina. I might have to get another smaller boat for racing only one day, but this boat suits my current needs fine. The mac 26D is the fastest Mac, but only has 4'-10" headroom. The Santana 20's are abundant along with Merit 24's, Catalina 22's, and of course J-boats if you want to spend most of your time in the cockpit. My neighbor has a Catalina 27, and has only had it out of his yard 2-3 times this summer.