hi boomer thanks for the reply I have seen the fairwind in the flesh but not the proboat .one of the points these days has to be the price ,which I think is about £100 difference .at the moment I have a kyoshu fortune 612 and to be honest am disappointed in the build quality. being a newcomer to the hobby I am trying not to make any expensive mistakes !
newarcher,
I have a 612 as well - when sailing this boat it's important to keep in mind it is a "light weather boat. Also, the factory sails are really too large for the boat in winds of any significance. The 612 sails really well in very light conditions. With slightly smaller sails, you'd be pleasantly surprised at how much better it will sail.
I'd still stay with the Fairwind lll The Serenity has a drum winch set up which is not my favorite in a boat like these. And frankly, the Fairwind is a better sailing boat. To me that is the key factor. Posted pictures of boat boats servo set ups.
I much prefer a standard servo arrangement in this kind of boat. The Serenity drum set up has no tensioning devise which can lead to fouled sheets inside the drum cover. You can install one were you to opt for the Serenity.
Boomer