Are Leander Class ships hard to sail?

I had a friend who looked at the HMS Argonaut site (see Feb. 17, HMS Argonaut), and then told me that, first of all, British ships were cool because they looked like they were moving when they were just sitting still, and second, that the last ship in the series, the Leander Class Frigate, 1967-1993, would have been staffed with older men because the Leander Class was notoriously difficult and was therefore no fit ship for amateurs or rookies.

I know essentially nothing about warships, much less the relative finesse needed to operate each class of ship. Is this guy pulling my leg? Navy people, weigh in, pretty please.

(Heated defense of one’s own ship is expected, but kindly leave out the salty language you might use with your buddies to add emphasis. There are ladies present.)

UPDATE, Saturday, February 19, 2005: I have heard off-blog from Adam Phillips, Argonaut Crew 1991-1993, who informs me that her ship’s company was quite young, and for many of them she was their first ship. He celebrated his 18th birthday on patrol in the Iceland Faro gap (North Atlantic), and claims that the ship suited the rough conditions there because it was one of the most sea worthy vessels available to the Royal Navy at the time. He also says that she was “very easy to sail”. I stand corrected, and shall tell my friend he needs to amend what he says about the Leander Class.