S&S34 Cruising speeds & equipment

[Steve Pereira]

Hi there guys, thanks for taking the time to read my post.

I haven't been sailing for very long now, but it appears that one doesn't need to sail for long before the dream of ocean cruising takes hold of one's imagination, and indeed savings plans!

A friend and i plan to purchase a boat for some blue water cruising, including some major ocean crossings. After months of research the S&S34 seems to be the boat we keep coming back to.

To aid in my planning, could you give me an idea of cruising speeds we might expect. Say, for example, in a 15 knot trade wind in August/September from Perth to Cocos Keeling? Even a very rough idea would assist!

Also, if anyone can offer any tips on what equipment i'd need and other things to look out for when shopping for an S&S34 it would certainly be appreciated.

Thanks,

Steve