Hi Graeme,
I have 235 number 25, and this will be our forth season. We keep her at Rutland on a mooring now but dry sailed there for the first season. We have also trailed her to the East Coast river, down to the Solent and upto Windermere, so have done quite alot of launching by trailer. It is the easiest boat to launch that you could imagine. We simply reverse to the waters edge, but chokes behind the wheels and unhitch, fix on a strong rope between jeep and trailer and then reverse in untill she floats clear.
Recovery is the same but in reverse, except it make life easier if you recover using a slipway with an adjacent pontoon. Because these boats are lift keels, there is little to control the stern of the boat when recovering. It depends on you to keep it in line.
With regards sailing, these are designed as cruiser/racers. Therefor they have plenty of sail area and need reefing sooner rather than later.
If you buy new you can specify the sail controls to suit your type of sailing, eg main sheet traveller etc. They are a very responsive boat, can be sailed on main or jib alone and turn on a sixpence. At Rutland we are not allowed outboards as it is a reservoir, so we leave and pick up our mooring and come along side the pontoons under sail alone, very maneuverable.
As most people have done, I spent much time researching before buying and have not been disappointed, they are the best! and their British, and have good after sales support.
You should also now that because they are so well thought of, the second hand prices are higher than you might expect compared to other nearly new boats and they sell very quickly.
I was the first to sail a 235 at Rutland and now their are seven at our club, what more can I say!
Regards
Graham Ebb
235/25 Blue Jazz