I'm a senior (68) and enjoy racing and day sailing my Express 27. I agree with all of Larry's comments and will add a couple. The boat is amazingly dry because of its fine entry and slightly clipper bow, even in a chop. The motor can be an issue--the solution is to get a light one and install and remove it at the dock. Also, an air cooled 4-cycle is a good choice to avoid dealing with the need to rinse the salt water out of the cooling system. The boat is lively but well-behaved in a big breeze with a full main and a number 4 jib. Last fall four other people and I sailed from Treasure Island all the way around the Bay in 4-5 hours on a windy day without anyone getting wet. I can't think of a better boat to have tied up ready to go behind a house on Brickyard Cove or anywhere on San Francisco Bay. Good sailing! Ralph

:: :: My wife and I,ages 64 and 70, sail a Wilderness 21. We
:: :: love the boat but find it too small for Bay sailing
:: :: during summer months. We are considering an E-27 as a
:: :: replacement. We would prefer to wet-sail as we sail
:: :: weekly and will not race the boat. We would appreciate
:: :: feed-back regarding the suitability of the E-27 for us.
:: :: Also please comment re: the pros & cons of cockpits sans
:: :: seat backs.
::
:: :: Many thanx,Harvey