Hi Claus,
Yes the 17 is much easier to row and I think with two rowers she would do well in the RAIDs. As you know with this ease of rowing comes a trade off in beam/form stability so she is a bit more lively than the BR20 but she is a much smaller boat and with the ballast in she would be more stable than other 17' boats.
My favourite is still the 20 as she is such a versatile and capable boat but for home builders, the 17 is much easier to put together.
regards,
Andrew