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Hi James
I have a Design 8 for sale, no 3294, Captain Flint, currently on the For sale list.
I purchased the boat as I was in exactly the same situation as you, my then 7 yr old son wanted to sail with me and i wanted something i thought could be competitive yet still nice and light for us to drag around the slip & boat park (Tried a L2000 for a bit, but was concerned about gaining a hernia). We sailed initially on lighter days and could regularly keep up with Phantoms on the right day. (Our boat has been fitted with loads of carbon so goes well and is nice & stiff.) I found the boat great fun for us both. I used to helm the upwind legs, but he did the off wind legs which really miffed some of the quicker boats as we caught up. I weigh 90kg,
They are great alround & the fact that they are so tweakable makes them great for us parents, especially as you are coming from a high performance background. Most Design 8's don't have any wood to look after which i felt was important to us as family time is at a premium, so no time and space to varnish/store over winter. 
My Son quickly noticed the Opi's sailing around our pond and now has jumped ship, hence our sale so I can get him a better Opitimist than his current one or Tera.
Definitly the right choice for you I'd say
Let me know if ours is of interest, I have lots of pictures i can send.
 
Regards
 
Paul

Hi
I currently sail a Laser 2000 at a small inland pond, which in parts is fairly shallow and the Laser 2k sometimes struggles to go in what is the quicket direction without the occasional bounce on the soft stuff. The boat has a draft of 1.2m.
For a while I've been considering a N12 as being much more suited to the water, and to our weight, (I sail with my 8 yr old son, combined weight 16.5 st). My question really is what does the N12 draw, and is there any particular design with a shorter draft, or ones to avoid with a longer draft. Our Budget is £500-£5000k, I'd consider a wooden boat, as the money saved would contribute to building a dble garage so i could store in the winter. I would however be looking for something competitive.
I've been dinghy sailing for 30 yrs and have sailed & raced many boats, but never a 12. I've had a number of RS200's, and assume that this is comparable to the 12 in terms of handling and stabilty. 
Any advice would be appreciated
Thanks
Paul