Hi Bones, I tried sailing the lapstrakes off our M15 in all sorts of weather, but found that Jerry had built them so well that sailing them off was an impossibility. They didn't even show any signs of wear after their experience. Sailing our M15 LEPPO was an absolutely delightful experience - in any kind of weather - (been there: done that before) and my only regret is that Father Neptune was right when he tapped me on the shoulder two years ago to tell me that I wasn't getting any younger and it was about time for me to give up sailing "big" boats. Damn, I keep drinking good, proper Martinis - the type you build with 2/3 gin and 1/3 dry vermouth - with pearl onions as vitamins - but instead of growing younger I just keep getting older. Sheesh....! I may no longer be pointing the bow and heading for distant horizons, but at least the Martinis still are enjoyed every evening when the sun is below the yard arm. My sailing life has been a blast, starting when I sailing my schooner model at the Conservatory Lake in Central Park, New York as boy; through all the various nautical adventures I've encountered and mastered after that; on Long Island Sound; the Rhine; Scandinavia; Dutch / Belgian / and French Canals from Rotterdam to Paris; sailing the Isselmeer; down the English Channel to Le Havre; the Mediterranean; the Adriatic; the New England Coast .... what a ball; what fun (and some times of not so much fun - like sitting out a three day Nor'easter in Oak Bluffs Harbor, MA in 50 degree weather with green water coming over the bow from the waves rolling in through the harbor entrance ). For all you new sailors, forget all the bar talk - "there I was, lee rail under.... the wind was blowing 30 knots, ....the seas were building..... Reality is, 95% of your sailing experience is in very pleasant conditions (if you can't tell sea stories at the bar, then you don't belong to the gang... so everyone is exaggerating the horrendous conditions they experienced... my story is better than yours..) If you sail from Block Island to Cuttyhunk and the sun is shining; you have a SW wind of 10 - 12 knots; it's a beautiful sail; you have nothing to talk about; nothing you can boast about; no heroic conditions; just a 30 NM gentle sail under ideal conditions. That's what sailing is really all about. May you all enjoy broad reaches, good anchorages, and as much enjoyment as our family has had sailing for over 50 years. Connie ex M15 #400 LEPPO