Sure - I'll send you a Pm with my
email address.
There is only one other Wildfire that I know of, the prototype built in
New Zealand. I am unsure of it's
current disposition. The predecessor boat (Great Barrier Express) was built at least 300 times, and they are scattered about. If anyone reading this knows of another, please let us know!
This might be the only one in the US.
Accommodations are spartan - 3 to 4
single bunks below. We have a porta pot on one side,
galley on the other. That works for
racing, but when the wife is along, we
pitch a 4 man tent on the forward tramp with a queen sized air mattress. Works out great in good
weather.
With regard to building, I would not do it, knowing what I now know. This particular design is great, and the guy I bought it from did a great job building it. BUT, It is still a handmade boat, and there is certainly more
work keeping it up to snuff than a production boat.
The huge benefit is high performance at low initial cost. My initial reservations about a cedar cored
hull have been completely eliminated. Light, strong and
rot resistant, it is exceptional so far, and I hear of many that are 30 years old and still doing just fine.
Realistically, you are going to spend at least $30K US starting from scratch, using second hand crossbeams, used
mast, used blocks, etc. Use
epoxy for everything, and 2 part poly
paint for longevity.
My
sails were handsewn per the architect's plans, I have subsequently replaced them with something a bit more racy.
Fun? You bet. I'm right there with the Corsairs except can't point quite as high upwind. Off the
wind slightly, she boogies. The ride is MUCH drier. On those occasion when you want to take 10 people and a case of
beer, it is a blast, though not as fast!