June 27 -- Lunch with Jim and the New Movie "MAIDEN"

Jim, formerly the master of "Aria," lives in New Jersey. I enjoyed a delightful two hour Thai lunch with him there today. Many Harlemites remember him fondly and frequently ask me to give him their good wishes.
In the evening Lene and I were invited to a preview screening of the new movie "Maiden". It will be released tomorrow. It is quite an inspiring story and will enoyed by every sailor especially those who sail out on the ocean or race or are female.
It is a documentary on the life of Tracy Edwards, up to the age of 28, with footage of her and her crew at the time of her greatest achievement, 30 years ago and interviews with them now. Having crewed as cook aboard other boats on ocean passages she taught herself to navigate, and formed the desire to navigate around the world in the Whitbread Race.
She raised funds, especially from The King of Jordan whom she had met, bought a run down 58 foot aluminum sloop, rehabed it, put together an all female crew and successfully completed the 1989-90 Whitbread around the world race.
The only "hole" in the story, which I got clarified by the Director, Alex Holmes, after the screening, was the nature of the incursion of a lot of water into the boat while passing the Falklands, northbound.. The mast had fissures and the mast boot too, which admitted a lot of seawater when beating into big seas.
She overcame a lot of derision because of her gender and was met back in England by the largest crown in the history of the race.
I highly recommend this movie. You can get the trailer on Google.