I have a rs2240, acknowledged that it doesn't sail as fast as other 22 footers but they are not that bad...
People call them ugly, yet I found that to be rather interesting design... I received many compliments on this unortodox design... It certainly gets attention of people... That might be why people call them "ugly" because they are not as mainstream as other boats... Are we little jealous?
Building quality is what one would expect from late 70s... Not too strong, unless you are planning to take it for a offshore sail, I think it's fairly strong to handle the "regular" seas... (Regular being not trying to sail it when 40+ winds and 10 ft seas)
It serves the purpose what it was build for, an average family's weekend enjoyment... You have ample space below decks and fair enough space to sit 4 adults (I don't recommend 4 adults on that boat unless you are familiar with boat's respond to winds)...
It's a really forgiving boat... Rights itself very quickly when heeled too far...
Is it a great boat to own for lifetime? No, but great for a beginner, shoal box keel has a flat bottom that can be sat on shore on low tide...
I'd still go with my reinell if I had to chose between a s2 22... S2 22 looks like a dingy sailor with hull covered flat... I'm not a professional, but I'm happy with what I have, had so many good memories on it, God willing I'll have more... After all, sailing means relaxing to me, not to go racing... I had powerboats before and got enough speed entertainment, now I want to sit back and enjoy ride...
I sailed on Gulets on Mediterranean when I was younger, and none of the fiberglass boats can match the salty feeling, construction quality, and enjoyment of those...
IMHO, if you want speed on water, get a powerboat... If you want speed but cannot afford the fuel, get a racer... If you want to enjoy your local waters, get a weekender... if you are planning to sail offshore, doesn't matter what you get, just keep praying...
After all, a first boat should be something cheap so you can learn what you are getting into... I learned how to paint the bottom and care for gelcoat, I leaned how to build cushions without feeling guilty about the small mistakes I made, I learned how to repair portholes without worrying that I got it right at the first time, and I'll learn how to fix fiberglass once I start fixing a soft spot on deck... Once I know how to deal with all the problems I may encounter on a boat then I can go spend some money to buy the boat that I can take care...
If one thinks that they can buy a "great" boat, they are only fooling themselves... Even a brand new boat will start having problems after the first season... Are they ready to spend more money on that boat? No, because they just got the second equity off their homes... So what happens is that the boat just sits on the dock...
I'd follow my heart, you like the boat, just go with it... Yes, you can get a boat that doesn't have any problems but for how long? I'd not spend bucket full of money on a boat that I'll learn how to sail... Same mentality as you won't learn how to drive a stick shift in a Ferrari! (Ferrari has a special gear box since 1991, extremely short timing that doesn't apply to regular stick shift by the way)
My little "ugly crap" sailed about 90+ days last season, while those "gorgeous tough" boats sat on the dock... Until you know what you are dealing with, go with the cheapest boat you can get for the first boat... Because, the experience you'll learn would be priceless...
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