[Brettms]

About 15 months ago with no prior sailing experience, I bought a Balboa 21.
It was a marvelous first boat for San Diego's Mission Bay and eventually some out on the ocean experience.

I started out just motoring it and then sailing with just the main, then the jib also and eventually a 160% genoa. Leading the main and jib halyards back to the cockpit was the next thing I did after trying to put them up on the water single handed.

After the first month I took ASA101 on a Capri 22 and considered it well worth the effort. Focusing on points of sail afterward, doing figure eights and triangular patterns really helped bring it together.

I told a friend at the marina who has a Catalina 27 that I planned to keep the Balboa 21 for two years before moving up. He said I wouldn't last a year.
That's in San Diego where late December is good sailing weather. He was wrong. I lasted 13 months before buying a Pearson 30 which I'm now single handing comfortably at age 60.

21' was a great size for a first boat. I'd advise don't buy a boat that is too small for what you want to do. Get what you want and get an ASA instructor to spend a few hours with you. I did that with the P30 and it was worth every penny.

Have a great time sailing! You only go around once (unless the jib is backwinded).