Hey Pete -

I love my little boat, but with only 14-feet of water line, I'm really suceptible to wind- and current-driven waves. There's a distance race out of Ocean Springs that I enjoy that's maybe a 12 to 13 mile jaunt out of Biloxi Bay to Horn Island. When the Gulf gets up to 2-4 foot sloppy chop, I get really frustrated with the continual speed bump action. It'd take a good deal more hull volume than the Mystere 4.3 or the Hobie 14 have to keep the cross beams from acting as a brake and to make the ride a little drier. Less than 2-foot and the boat's a dream. If I thought I were going to be in those choppier conditions more often than not, and I weighed more than I do (~130 lbs.), I'd be looking in the 17-foot range for something with a kite.

Good luck - I really like the area where you'll be sailing.