I know this is inappropriate and I may get drummed out but here goes.It's confession time. I have a friend that I have yet to convince about classic boats (he has promised to have counselling and to get a padded room) but he has decided that he would like a singlehanded plastic maintenance-free boat with a mainsail and an assymetric (crew difficult to get). (You see now that he really has problems). He is fairly lightweight (I guess a tad under 80kg) and doesn't want anything with a low boom (arthritis setting in). He has thought about a Vareo but is now wondering if this is a mid life crisis and is he mad!! He also read that the Vareo upwind performance is poor. He has sailed an elderly Miracle singlehanded up to now but wants something faster and thinks a normal Laser has too low a boom. I know that many of the guys reading this have sailed other (lesser) boats than a Merlin so would like any opinions on a choice of boat (rather than on his rare medical condition) which would be welcome.  I should add that the sailing is inland at Forfar - generally longish beats and runs and rarely reaches worth a damn - loch runs East West and is narrow.

For my part I am regularly inhaling mahogany dust and varnish fumes to boost my immune system against this sort of deadly complaint and so far it is working well.

forget the assymetric and get a Blaze - theyre a blast and comfy too. Merlin-size mainsail on an int14 planing hull! Just make sure he wears one of those jackets that does up at the back!

I believe you can just about walk round the back of the boom on an International Canoe. No bending at all!

Hi
I have sailed Vareos on many occasions and believe that they are great boats-I would get one if I could afford it! They are reasonably competitive upwind in a handicap fleet, I felt comfortable beating Phantoms upwind (and blatted them away downwind!!) in moderate winds. Now the fun bit-Downwind, the MOST fun I have ever had downwind, and I have sailed 200's, 400's, 300's, just about all the blinking 00's out there. you are having to think tactically and keep the spinni tuned, it is maddly fun-You wont stop talking about it for weeks/months/years after you've been in one and..... O yea sorry Im going on. 
To sum up they are a fantastic boat to sail, they are easy(ish) to sail but very hard to sail well.

Ridiculous as it sounds if the assy is a must the canoe is probably his best bet. This does of course depend on his experience! The higher performance s/h assymetric boats do have high booms so the MPS or RS700 are not tp be ruled out if he doesn't mind going fast!

The Solo Class has been experiencing a boom over the last few years with great attendances at championships and a large number of new registrations. Get your friend to check out their excellent website which has loads of info, a bouyant sales section which indicates great residuals, There is a companion Scots website too. Everyone seems really keen to help and create really good competitive racing.

By the way I had to go to a wedding at Blair Castle last w/end and have so far picked up two tickets from Strathclyde alone ( We have Yellow Cameras and warnings!). I should think the Wedding Party brought in at least 70k to the local economy and drove 20hrs in a w/e to be there! Too much after paying all that dosh into the Bank of Scotland.

Forget the kite, and forget the vareo.  tell him to buy a RS300, the most fun you will have on your own!!!!!!(in a boat)