Capri 14.2 vs. Holder-Hobie-Vagabond 14. Your impressions?

[Guest]

I am interested in buying one of these 2 boats.Could you give me an idea of how they compare in performance, ease of sailing and other aspects? Thanks, Al.

 

[Guest]

I was trying to decide between those two myself before buying the Capri 14. I sailed the Vagabond 14 and it seemed a bit more tender. It's a lighter boat by about 60 pounds but carries about the same sail area, so I had to watch my balance more. It just didn't feel as comfortable to me as the capri, but I was looking primarily for a daysailer and secondarily a racer. Can't tell you a lot about performance comparisons, because I only took the vagabond out once, but they seem about the same to me in the light air I sailed the vagabond in. I'm sure that in racing, and in heavy winds, the vagabond is more of a handfull, but if you're looking for that, it might be a lot of fun. The capri is plenty enough fun for me, since I'm downsizing from bigger boats. The vagabond is also a daggerboard versus the capri's swing centerboard if that makes a difference. I like the centerboard because it's easy to raise and drop, whereas the daggerboard can get in the way when you raise it. The capri has a nice storage area behind the cubby, and I don't remember if the vagabond has the same.