How about a MacGregor 36? They go for $20k ready-to-race it seems, and they're a durable, proven design.

Hans Geissler and Eddie Calamari sailed a G-Cat 5.0M from Dunedin Causeway to Cancun back in '77 (took almost 78 hours). People have sailed H-18s across the Atlantic from Africa to the Carribean. The Worrell 1000 used to be sailed non-stop on H16s. Success is 90% the sailor, and 10% the boat.