It's sailing season again. Finally.

Lake Ontario takes a while to warm up, and I'm really kind of reluctant to take small, wet boats out in the open before it does. We're now up to swimmable temperatures, and it just so happens that the Ahoy Rentals fleet gained a new Topper Topaz this year. Of course, we had to take the little thing for a spin.

What a great little boat. She's fast, but not overpowered. She's well-mannered and predictable, without being boring. She's complex enough to notice small tweaks to sail trim, and simple enough that a novice won't get in too much trouble. If you're inclined to customize the thing, Topper offers more options and configurations than you'll find at the gourmet burger joints that are all the rage this year.

Will I buy one? Probably not. But there's no need to, since I can just call up Ahoy at lunch and a rental Topaz will be waiting, rigged and ready, around the corner from my office at the end of the workday. Not a bad way to unwind after a long day of computer work.