---

Dear Sir,

We appreciate the opportunity of your good medium to deeply thank the hundreds of people, companies and our Government who have contributed to enabling the "Bermudian' schooner (c. 1820) Spirit of Bermuda to come home and to the 1,000s who greeted her on her arrival last weekend.

We will be following a dual track now of introducing her to the whole island and to beginning the programmes for which she was built (see our website: www.bermudasloop.org).

We also want to take the opportunity to state that Spirit is not "Bermuda's first sail training vessel" as was widely reported on her arrival.

To be correct, the schooner 'Christian Venturer' was the first dedicated sail trainer under the command of Captain Bobby Doe. For nine years in the 1980s, the 66' schooner "CV" was involved in local and far-reaching sail training on both sides of the Atlantic, winning many friends and trophies while developing young people in the process.

Numerous trips were made to the East Coast for Young Life of Bermuda, taking their kids to and from summer camps in the U.S..

She was the centre spread in 'Yachting' magazine in 1984.

Spirit of Bermuda and 'CV' do share the same concept designer, Bermudian Bill Nash, who also built 'CV' in 1976-77 at Boaz Island. 'CV' is now called 'Rock Steady' and is moored in Ely's Harbour.

Once Bobby took a teenage boy who was from Korea, half-American, and rejected by all.

Realizing that his behaviour had to change or it could endanger the whole crew, Bobby gave the teen the choice to go home on the next plane, or to make the sea voyage.

The boy decided to go, and when he got off the boat in Boston he hugged Bobby and said: "Captain, thank you, this has been the best thing I have ever done in my life."

We look forward to STV Spirit of Bermuda performing the same role on a large scale for 50 years.

Malcolm Kirkland

Executive Director, Bermuda Sloop Foundation[[In-content Ad]]

---