Comparing Cats: The Short List

I was asked for a brief list of how I'd rank the various brands...I've owned and/or lived-aboard and cruised Lagoons, Prouts, Leopards...Here is a brief list comparing the major brands:

                                    Pro                                                                     Con

Lagoon:   More interior space than any other/Achieves huge economies of scale in the build process so you get the most for your money    Some people call them "Clorox bottles" meaning they are finished "too plasticky"

Leopard: "Wear the best"/stay looking good the longest/rigged for 1-2 to sail.Yacht-like finish       not as much room as Lagoon

FP Lavezzi: Low in price/Lotta boat 4 the $      Tiny salon/galley. Fit and finish like a "mobile home"...a step below the others

FP Orana: Low in price/has improvements over older FP's       Not as much room as Lagoon. A step below others(in finish)

Prout: forget them. They went bankrupt in 2000 and the new builder in China is a cash-strapped group who haven't ever built boats before...they leak, don't hold up well and are not well-thought out even though the design appears to be excellent. Nobody in the factory knows how to sail.

My wife and many cruisers would agree with me 100% that the absolute most important factors to choosing a cat are in this order:

1. Comfort and usable interior space are of paramount importance..amount of storage space is VERY IMPORTANT

2. try to acquire the newest biggest boat for the budget

3. gotta be easy for 1 person to sail

4. Speed is not important because the difference between the major production boats is small

I can elaborate on the above for hours ....