HATFIELD ARRIVES BACK ON LAND
12th February 2003

Latest News: Derek Hatfield left Napier at 11:00hrs local time Thursday 13th February (22:00GMT 12th Feb) - after only 13 hours in port - with everything in working order. Hatfield was 429 miles from Alan Paris at precisely this time. A full story will be posted later on but please check out the photo story in the Multimedia Gallery - Photos Leg 4 - Spirit of Canada in Napier.

Original story: Derek Hatfield has arrived in Napier on the north island of New Zealand and has begun the process of getting his boat, Spirit of Canada, back in shape for the rest of Leg 4. Hatfield was forced to return to land after the new batteries he installed in Tauranga apparently caused a major electrical failure in board the boat. Mary Ambler, the PR person for Around Alone was on hand in Napier to help Hatfield and sent this report:

"Derek sailed into Hawkes Bay just before 8pm NZ time under full main only - dusk was drawing in fast and he arrived with the last rays of the day. The Napier Coastguard, under the helm of volunteer Bryce Lawrence and local businessman Murray Sinclair, had earlier in the day arranged the necessary people and boats with Derek's shore crew Patianne Verburgh and Around Alone organiser Kels Gilkison to go out to meet Derek and tow him safely into port. This happened without Derek having to use the engine. He received a tow just after 8pm local time, which means that he will be subject to the 48 hour penalty. The local Napier Coastguard team were extremely helpful and efficient, and will be on call through the night to be ready for when Derek needs to leave.

Derek had been hand steering for 26 hours and had not slept for all that time. He had a glazed look on his weather-beaten face when he came alongside the wharf in the Port of Napier and was clearly exhausted. He was however remarkably level headed over the whole situation and as soon as he stepped off the boat was happy to speak to local journalists from the Hawkes Bay Today newspaper. He then left his shore crew with Sabina and Henry (2 Canadians travelling in NZ who pitched up to help in Tauranga) to get working on the boat whilst he put his head down in the Coastguard vessel's bunk for some well earned sleep. ETA departure hopes to be at first light. Work is in progress and going well, no majors to report there unless we hear otherwise.

On an aside, Derek arrived on the eve of Art Deco Week in Napier - Napier was partly destroyed in 1931 by an earthquake and the main town centre was completely rebuilt in Art Deco style in 1932 - the town looks like a homage to the era, with every building, signage and decoration in Art Deco style - somewhat bizarre for a place which also has a large industrial port next door and attracts the biggest container ships in the world to export timber from New Zealand."

Fellow Class 2 competitor Alan Paris sent an email commenting on derek's problems. It gives a unique insight into the cameraderie shared by these sailors. "No one ever said this race was fair, but the electrical issue that has fried all of Derek's communications and autopilots seems a cruel twist of fate," he wrote. "In Class II, one could argue that the most stellar performance shown thus far is by Derek on Spirit of Canada in his overachieving 40 footer. If you listen to the skippers in Class I, their wish ( said in jest ) is that no one gives Derek a 60 footer as they would all have another formidable competitor to deal with. Derek, good luck in getting your systems sorted out and I anticipate the moment when you are back in the race and hunting me down with that fierce competitive spirit we all know so well."

Well said Alan. If anyone knows the agony of having to stop racing it's you. (Paris was forced to stop in Tasmania on Leg 3 after he had serious rigging failure).

--- Brian Hancock great.circle@verizon.net

Source: Around Alone Official Site