Dear Gerry

I am, as you probably realise, a bit of a yacht racing fanatic. I am currently the Racing Captain on a 30 metre yacht called "Bristolian", and we race the boat at a number of International Regattas. This is not a full time occupation for me, only a sporting interest. This is a great honour for me to be able to do this as most Racing Captains on Maxi Yachts are full time professionals. We sail with up to 35 crew members, and we have won the "Big Boat Division" in Antigua a number of years in a row. Recently our crew attended and raced at the 150th Jubilee regatta, celebrating the history of the America's Cup in Cowes in the UK. We welcomed a large number of our American and Canadian friends at this regatta, all from the various yacht clubs involved. My club is the Royal Thames Yacht Club and we have a long history of association with the New York Yacht Club. The yacht is currently in Palma, Majorca, Spain and we intend to race the yacht in the Mediterranean Yacht Regatta Circuit in 2002.

I enclose this further photo of us at the "blunt end" and that is me trying to do my best at the helm!! The man stepping towards me is Don Smith from Atlanta, a well known America's Cup contender and the man with the camera is a producer from the Discovery Satellite Channel. He was making a program about Antigua Race Week called "Warm Winds, Deep Water" in which we were heavily featured. (Screened last year). The lady in front of me was a USA team crew member from "Mighty Mary", the only All Women Crewed yacht ever to participate in the America's Cup.

I enclose this further jpeg photo and hope its not too large a file.

Ann Louise and I intend to purchase our own (smaller!) yacht in the next year or so and, god willing, we are hoping to make a world cruise, spending up to three years in my favourite area, the Southern Pacific Ocean.

As Ever

With Kind Regards

JOHN BURNIE