1.

: anybody has experience with clc's "Jimmy Skiff" ?

Unfortunately, no - I haven't sailed it, though I have visited the CLC shop and seen it. I am an experienced sailor, however (with other boats of all sizes).

: can it withstand a reasonable wind speed ? I was told that this boat is a bit tender (tippy) for a novice, so it may not be the best choice for you.

: is there enough space in it for a long legged like me (6'2" tall) ? Yes.

: is there enough space in it for a 2nd person ? Yes - with no problem. In a pinch, I think you might fit one more normal size person or a couple kids, though it would be better to row in that case.

: anybody heard of a similar product from another manufacturer ? Sure. Check www.bateau.com; www.pygmyboats.com (IIRC)has a rowing/sailing boat called the "Wineglass Wherry." Also, check www.instantboats.com for Payson/Bolger plans. There are several sites to check - but most of them have plans instead of kits. For a boat like this, plans wouldn't be that tough to use, IMHO. You might want to check out Harold Payson's books "Instant Boats" and its sequel(s). More links include www.glen-l.com and www.databoat.com That's a good start. A simple search in your browser for "boat plans" or "boat kits" will reveal a LOT of sites that have plans and kits.

: 2.

: the catamaran or trimaran rigs for kayaks: I can understand how a trimaran
: works, but I can't understand how the catamaran works, & out of these
: 2 options I prefer the catamaran because it's smaller, lighter etc.

The CLC trimaran kit looks like fun to me - and more stable than a catamaran. I haven't sailed kayaks, though, so I hope someone else will weigh in here. I have asked before on the CLC forum which kayak matches up the best with the sail rig, and didn't really get an answer.

I'm also intrigued by the idea of putting the sail rig on a canoe instead of a kayak - that would seemingly give you speed, stability and capacity.

I would think it's easier to learn to sail on a sailboat than on a rigged-up kayak or canoe, if you really want to learn sailing. I learned the basics on a Sunfish, then graduated to (mostly wooden) single-class boats (Chesapeake Bay 20, Hampton, Force 5, Lightning and Harpoon) and the occasional "big boat" (which to me is any boat more than 25 feet). My guess is that sailing a kayak (even a beamy Mill Creek) would be pretty tricky for a novice (especially if close-hauled)- but I've never sailed one. Here's a link that you might find interesting, in addition to the other sites I've mentioned.