I have no experience sailing in salt water, but I can say that the Laser can handle surf--it's a fairly large boat (42" I think) and if you opt for the optional 'C' rig, you'll find it can sail in pretty windy conditions (I had a friend that sailed in white cap conditions at a lake without much trouble with the C rig on). The other extremely attractive thing about the Laser is the fact that it's very water-tight. The hull will pretty much be leak-free no matter how windy or lumpy the seas--that might be a good thing for salt water, since it's not generally very good for electronics.

I hear that after sailing in saltwater you MUST rinse the boat (and any parts that touched salt water) with fresh water.

Andy
[link=http://www.acmsc.org]Air Capitol Model Sailing Club[/link]