Camping provisions can be strapped to the boat. I don't know how feasible these trips are on the F16. For starters, you need a very competent crew/navigator, someone you can talk to for the 4+ hrs so you don't get bored, and more importantly someone you trust with your life. Is the F16 a good platform with 300 lbs of crew weight, 25 lbs of navigation and safety gear, and 100 lbs of camping gear, all while offshore? I haven't spent enough time on the boats in heavy air and more importantly a heavy sea state to make that call.

I will say the F18, N20, F20c, and Tornado are probably better platform for this. If the trip/race is downwind both ways, the F16 would probably be alright as well. Having spent 5 hours POUNDING through 5+ foot Atlantic chop upwind in 20kts+ on the N20 WITHOUT chicken lines (we were <1 mile offshore at all times and this was still stupid), I wouldn't want less waterline. A reef-able mainsail would be nice. Anyone look at Livingston's Tornado modified for the Everglade's Challenge? I'd really like to take a look at that boat, it would probably be the setup I'd take on over-the-horizon trips.

Take a look at the Tybee list of safety requirements. That's my safe minimum. I'd take nothing less than 3 GPS's on the trip, 2 VHF's, EPIRB's for each crew member and enough water for 3 days. Nothing less than Aquata Worrell XT's or equivalent for trap harness's. I'm sure those with more distance racing experience than I will chime in with their tips...

Finally, some of these places look like a blast and may be the next step forward for distance racing. I'd love to see a distance race run alternate years down the Gulf Coast of Florida, Starting in Tampa and culminating in a beastly 82nm mile sprint from Marco's Island to Key West across Florida Bay.