We just pulled the trigger on our next charter - 10 days from St. Lucia to Grenada. I'm not posting to ask about sailing in that area though. Rather, I am looking for insight into our boat options. We have sailed quite a few Lagoons in the past as well as a FP Saba and a Voyage 520 (which we loved). Never sailed a Moorings/Leopard but I assume they are pretty similar to those two boats in many ways.

Anyway, my kids asked if we can get something other than a Lagoon for this trip which means they also are probably hoping for something besides the FP or Leopard too. That leaves us with the wildcard - a 2015 Catana 42 Carbon Infusion. Anyone here ever sail one and have an opinion? How does it compare to the big three in terms of comfort and ease of sailing? We are a family of five and typically enjoy having some space to spread out and a few amenities (A/C, electric heads, etc...), but are willing to give up a little in exchange for a fast and fun boat. The Catana is quite a bit less expensive than the other options, but it lacks some of the features that we've become accustomed to such as the A/C and generator. I've heard they are fairly quick and can point upwind well with the dagger boards, but I also have heard that they are quite a bit more cramped than typical charter boats of the same size. Plus, we will be on a beam reach for the majority of the charter likely with winds in the 15-20+ range so not sure how much extra speed and pointing ability we are going to need. Our other choices would be a FP Helia owner's version, Lagoon 450 (again) or a Moorings 4000 owner's version - all of them only ~1-2 years old.

Part of me wants to try the Catana, but part of me worries that it will not go over well once we get on it (especially with the wife). Any advice? Should we stick to the tried and true or take a chance on the Catana?

Thanks!

Matt