hi Shawn, I suspect if you sail that C&C 36, you will buy it. I have one like it, a 1979, and am delighted with its feel under sail and the way the boat works under power and at the dock or on the anchor for myself, girlfriend, and any friends or family we bring a long. To me it is the perfect size, and I wouldn't want smaller.
In light air, you can pass other cruising boats. In heavy, you are relatively dry and comfortable. As a performance sailor, I don't worry about stiffness too much. I can always reduce sail. I value light air performance as it is hard to make the mast longer. Your friends who are racers will remark about how nicely the boat steers compared to what they were expecting from a boat that is made to be so comfortable. People at the dock will compliment the boat and you might even feel pride and or sheepishness when you spent so little compared to their new big cruising power boats. >From this list, it's pretty clear that all C&Cs are this good and if you are willing to spend more, go for the 37/40 or other newer one with more amenities. If not, get something like that 36. I certainly have been pleased with mine. That one looks very clean to me and likely has the fundamentals right. Bailey
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