I have to agree with the prevailing opinions. If you are sailing in the Northwest then the idea of buying a shoal draft version, espeically with in-mast
furling makes no sense at all, espeicially if you are a new sailor without the skills to get some decent shape out of an in-mast furled mainsail. Negotiate agressively and buy the older boat, learn to sail really well (which frankly this is a little bit too big for that purpose) and once you have enough experience buy something that is a bit more robust and designed for the rigours of offshore work.
Jeff