basically, anyone here looking for a sailboat should consider a 2-person fiberglass body with full centerboard (not a daggerboard), optional jib so you can practice on only a mainsail, and hiking straps to control the boat at a beam reach. an autobailer is a nice addition but you need to be going fast enough for it to work. so a club 420 would be what i consider the best overall option that you will never outgrow until you leave the harbor and need something with a cabin, which i have never needed.

an opti is for 8-year-olds and is boxy and boring, it goes really slow and never keels over; you'll outgrow it in 2 weeks. a laser (picrel) goes really fast and is quite fun but only seats 1 person. a JY15 is like a shittier 420 that 12-year-olds learn on. those are pretty much the main models that you'll encounter, OP should join community boating for 3 summers and see if he wants to invest in a used boat.