Done several 50 nm distance races on my F16, mostly in pretty rough or unstable conditions.

Last september I did one of those singlehanded.

I don't see a problem if you are a sufficiently experienced skipper. Afterall the safety coverage is always less on a distance race and the crew is responsible for making sure that they can take care of themselfs (himself) if a mishap happens.

I don't think the actuall distance of such a race is an important consideration. The expected weather conditions in relation to your own skill level is the paramount consideration. Of course this assumes that your craft is in good condition and well cared for.

I would have no problem considering distances races like Texel on my F16, even solo if I thought that the cost associated with that race are worth it (which I don't).

When I go sailing recreationally it is not uncommon for me to clock 30 nm-50 nm singlehandedly. I know it is not really allowed at my club but now and then I enjoy sailing out to a large sailboat that can be seen travelling some great distance away from shore. Sometimes I bring my GPS and most often I clock around 50 km (30 nm) on an afternoon like that (a couple of hours sailing). Often this includes some spinnaker legs with the hull lifting that last 30 minutes or more (about 10 nm).

I feel this to be more of a risk then any distance race where there will mostly be other boats around to assist you if things go really wrong.

Now I'm not advising that everybody does this, there are definately risks. However in my opinion the boat can handle it without much trouble. Some sailors make far too much out of the hulls being 16 foot length. You need to know your boat and where the threshold are, when you do then everything is fine irrespectabally whether it is 14 foot or 20 foot. I now know my F16 intimately (pun !) and can push it for hours on end without going over or making a serious dive. I just now its little warning signs and know exactly what to do in response.

Of course I race my F16 solo regulary as well and I have gained lots of experience in pushing the boat in all conditions that way. And I can right my F16 singlehandedly in all conditions and on occasion have done so during one of these long afternoon sail trips. That gives me alot of confidence. I do bring a mobile phone with me so if things go really bad (breaking an arm or leg) then I can phone the catamaran club or somebody else who can go out and pick me up.

Wouter