The Fx will cost you roundabout 13000 euro, whereas the Tiger is in the 17000 euro range if you buy a fully fitted out, ready to compete boat. I know that the euro nowadays is quite expensive 1,3 dollar/1 euro current trading. That is the backside of it. The good thing is that the fx is a boat that looks great, lasts through the years and is a lot faster than the inter 17 standart, faster than the inter 17xl (european race version with standart aluminium mast 8,5 meter mast and 16sqm sail) and probably just as fast as the inter 17 race (with expensive 9 meter carbon mast, and severely punished for luff length by PMA, Texel rating and ISAF small catamaran handicap system. and let us not forget that the ISAF system has an extra penalty for carbon masts)
Our experience on the North Sea with difficult steep choppy waves made us conclude this. In non-trapeze conditions the inter 17XL (same weight, same mast length, same mainsail area, bigger spinaker) was about as fast as the FX. In trapezing conditions the FX just took off. Hear! Hear!
Dirk
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Just got back from the H 16 CC at Lake Onida, great event. Was talking to Greg Thomas from the factory and he said they were selling a few FX 1's in the US. Would like to know where they are going and if any are in my area (East Coast-Delaware). I've had one for two years and love it, but have to race handicaped. Maybe we could get something going for next year. If you are racing your boat make sure you send in the times to US Sailing so the boat can be handicaped properly. Right now it is just an estimate.
I would second Dan's comments. At 13,000 euro's you can almost buy two new Hobie 17's for the price of one FX-1. At the H-17 North Americans in Monterey this year, we sailed with a FX-1 in the warmup Otter Regatta. Going to weather, most of the H-17's were as fast if not faster than the FX-1. Downwind with the chute he was faster, but overall, several of the top H-17's finished ahead of the FX-1.