CHILDREN OF THE AROUND ALONE
27th March 2003

At midday today, Salvador time, Alan Paris on BTC Velocity was 260 miles from the finish sailing with light winds from behind. It’s frustratingly slow, but Paris is not one to complain. He knows he will get to Brazil eventually and when he does he can look forward to his longest stretch on land since the race started. Unless the wind gods are particularly unkind, he should have over two weeks to spend with his wife and young son. "We will just wait until he gets here," Becky Paris said, "and when he does we will have a great time until he leaves again." It has been like that since the start and Becky and son Tucker have learned to take it in stride.

It’s not easy being the wife of a solo sailor especially if you have a two year old to traipse around the world, but even that seems to be taken in stride. "Last week I was in England at a funeral of a great aunt," Becky said. "Then it was back to Bermuda to pick up Tucker and then a few flights to get here. I don’t even know what day it is." Families are a huge part of this race. Every morning the media center is alive with the sounds of Thierry Dubois’s two young girls tearing up the place. They are clearly the apple of their fathers eye and a very relaxed Dubois seems to be enjoying every second of his time with them. For the last 10 years Thierry has been at sea for long stretches, sailing twice in the Vendee Globe, a non-stop single-handed race around the world. Thierry will retire from solo sailing after this next leg and that realization has him in a buoyant mood.

Missing from the line-up this stopover is Chloe Stamm. She is home with her very pregnant mother, and her father who has taken a brief vacation to before the last leg. In the other stopovers Chloe has become a fixture on board all the boats swinging from the rigging and taking showers from any available hose. Also missing is Tate Van Liew who thinks of all the skippers as kindly uncles (and aunt!). Dad Brad is back in the US and the whole gang will return to Brazil in time for the start of Leg 5. Only Tim Kent will miss seeing his kids this stopover. "It’s about money, as in we don’t have enough to pay for air tickets as well as food for the last leg," Tim said. Children have become integral to this event and they are quickly learning about life on the road.

If Alan is able to find enough wind to keep him sailing at 6 knots, he should be in Salvador enjoying lunch with his family, and us, on Saturday.

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

Source: Around Alone Official Site