Pecos,
I'm in the middle of building a new Vic, and I've had and raced one before. The stock kit on the Vic is pretty horrible, but if you get the c/f parts and a decent set of sails they sail very very well. I recommend Rod Carr Sails ([link=http://ww.carrsails.com]www.carrsails.com[/link]) for your boat. They aren't the cheapest, bu I've been extremely happy. If you need any recommendations on where to get parts, let me know. My boat is called 'Katana' and I'll post pics as soon as I get some.

By comparison, the SW outclasses in performance even a modified Vic--as well it should (it has a whole lot more sail area for one thing) and I'm fortunate--my local fleet obviously sails mostly SeaWinds, but there's a club in Oklahoma City that races Vics exclusively, plus a few clubs in Texas, and myself and a few other members of our club like to make an occasional road trip to race with our Vics. They are a lot of fun!

Andy