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Islander
I own a 1973 Islander 34, and have been very happy with it. I have been sailing it on the south shore of Long Island, where the wind is typically 10-15 knots. In those conditions the boat is fast and comfortable, although definitely not a race boat. I have not sailed it much in light air and so I can not really give you an idea of how it might perform then. The one thing that has really impressed me about the boat is how comfortable and stable the boat is even when the wind really picks up, or in heavy chop. Even without a dodger the cockpit stayed very dry, and the boat really shrugs off any kind of chop or rough water. The only negatives I can think of is that it has limited space for a 34'' boat. Other designs will give you a lot more living area in the same length, of course you would be giving up that smooth ride that this design provides. Also you should have the boat surveyed before buying it. The boats had a problem where the support under the mast compression post would start to rot, and the deck would sag. If this is happening, you would have some repairs to do. It is very repairable by replacing the wood support with a steel support, however it would cost some to complete.
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