Letters to the Editor

Dear Mr. Burns,

I have bought a First 30 Beneteau in 1999 and have spent hundreds of hours of hard labor and too many $ to bring the boat back to glory.

I am posted back to Europe and the occasion is excellent to sail back to Europe. For months I worked on an option through the azores by trucking the boat to Annapolis, but storing water and food was a problem and the length a problem in itself, plus the risk to have not enough wind.

Then I remembered your excellent article, I read it again. Bingo, this is the way! I already spent a full week sailing with 4 friends on a 30 footer 25 years ago. I can figure 2 weeks., plus...that mught be way too long.

We will leave Chicago on the 12th of July and do the Hook race (Racine to S bay) that we did last year, continue towards Machinack/Detroit. Then I am considering trucking the boat to a place close to Nova Scotia, sail to St. Pierre (We need to buy raw milk cheese!) and depart from St. John.

You did a very fast crossing except for the 2 first days. I will try to cast off with some wind to make a fast start and I think I can make it in 2 weeks. I have lived in Ireland for 6 years, it would be great to be there again.

I am sure that you think that this guy is crazy, the boat is too small, it’s a coastal cruiser. That’s not true. This is a medium displacement of 8000 pounds with almost 6 feet draft and 50% ballast ratio. It is strongly built. By the way a stock FIRST 30 won the Ostar 1980 between Plymouth and New York. I will add running backstays for situations where we would be running with jib only in a gale. I will have a crew of 4. My son, 17 who races year long in Antibes (France), and osteopath and an engineer.

I had at least 2 questions for you.

First, do you know of any other boats departing at the time?

Second, would you have any charts or maps that you don’t need and that I can buy from you?

By the way congratulations for your magazine, it is excellent.

Amicalement
Jean Vaury