May 10, 2003

Paris nears end of epic voyage

Sunday lunch on land.
That’s the target – and perhaps an appropriate one – as solo sailor Alan Paris prepares for a Mother’s Day grand finale.
Nearing completion on the ‘mother’ of all sea voyages – a 28,000 mile single-handed circumnavigation through some of the most treacherous waters known to man – the 38-year-old Bermudian was yesterday edging ever closer to his final destination, and a place in Island sailing folklore.
When he crosses the finish line off Newport’s Castle Rock at the end of the fifth and final leg of the Around Alone Race, most likely around lunchtime tomorrow, he will become the first-ever Bermudian to complete such a solo voyage.
Indeed it’s an adventure which race organisers believe has only been accomplished by some 130 yachtsmen in total – a figure significantly less than the number of mountaineers who have conquered Everest.
On hand to greet him will be wife Becky and two-year-old son Tucker, as well as a handful of Bermudian friends among what is expected to be a large flotilla of local boats.
Newport photographer Billy Black, who will be covering the event for The Royal Gazette, anticipates that a Sunday finish for Paris in what are expected to be calm conditions could result in “a considerable welcoming party.”
“From the point of view that many people won’t be working, Sunday’s probably the best day to finish,” said Black. “There could well be a lot of boats out on the water ready to welcome Alan ‘home’.”
But before cracking open the champagne, Paris first has to negotiate what could be an uncomfortable journey’s end.
Yesterday’s log from onboard his 40-foot BTC Velocity, penned less than 300 miles from the finish, decsribed contrasting weather conditions for the final couple of days.
“The front is arriving,” wrote Paris. “Winds are presently at 23 knots and have been building all day from nine knots this morning at sunrise. The sea’s increasing and in general I have that ‘lets get ready for another blow’ feeling.
“Clearing the cabin of clutter – saves picking it up from the bilge later, wet. Replaced a frayed reefing line this morning on the second reef point, batteries all charged and now it’s BTC Velocity’s turn to show once more that she is a seaworthy boat.
“The Gulf Stream lies 80 nautical miles to my northwest and I should be there at 10 p.m. Bermuda time, just in time for the frontal passage and 30- 35 knots of wind. Yuck!
“After all this passes, the wind forecast is for light and variable until Sunday, so right now the pedal is down and I am pushing hard to make as many miles as possible. Hope to see my friends and family in time for lunch on Sunday.”
The general consensus seems to be that if BTC Velocity can average six knots during his push to the finish, he should arrive by mid-day Sunday for ninth place overall, leaving just one boat from the original starting fleet of 13 to complete the race.
Beset by repair problems, Derek Hatfield in Spirit of Canada only began the final leg from Salvador in Brazil on Wednesday, some three weeks behind his fellow competitors, and isn’t expected in Newport until towards the end of the month.
The fleet left Newport on September 12 last year for a 160 mile crewed race down to New York before the official Around Alone single-handed event got underway.
Since then the intrepid sailors have ventured 2,930 miles on the first leg from New York to Torbay in the west of England and then another 6,880 miles on leg two to Cape Town in South Africa.
From there, the race took them on a 7,125 mile trek to Tauranga in New Zealand and on a testing leg four around Cape Horn, 7,850 miles to Salvador in Brazil.
The final leg back to Newport – 4,015 miles – began on April 13.
First to finish, in Class One for boats over 50 feet but not exceeding 60 feet in length, was Swiss entrant Bernard Stamm in Bobst Group Armor Lux, followed by Italian Simone Bianchetti’s Tiscali, Frenchman Thierry Dubois in Solidaires, American Bruce Schwab in Ocean Planet and the lone female entrant, England’s Emma Richards in Pindar.
In class two, for boats between 40 and 50 feet, Brad Van Liew in Tommy Hilfiger Freedom America, Tim Kent (Everest Horizontal) and Kojiro Shiraishi (Spirit of Yukoh) have also finished.
The race recorded three casualties – Belgium Patrick de Radigues in Garnier failing to complete the second leg, Canadian John Dennis in Bayer Ascensia pulling out on leg three and Kiwi Graham Dalton (Hexagon) forced to call it quits on leg four.


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