How tall are you
Mike, I have owned both a Hunter 23.5 and a Hunter 26. The Catalina actually falls in between the two Hunters, and is closer to the 23.5/240. The first thing I noticed is the lack of headroom in the Catalina. The 26 will give you more headroom, additional beam and roomier accommodations. The Catalina is a masthead rig with a backstay, and uses overlapping genoas, whereas the 260 has a B & R Fractional Rig with a 110 jib. The sailing characterisitcs are a little different. Personally, I would not want to mess with a big genoa. The biggest advantage the Cat has is that it probably has better sail controls (jib cars & tracks for instance) to handle different headsails. I think it is somewhat lighter than the 26, so unless you already have or plan on buying a bigger tow vehicle, the weight could affect your decision. I have had my 26 for four years and have been very happy with the boat. In fact, I didn't even consider the Catalina when moving up from the 23.5. Mike Pajewski H26 "Loon"
