Game on – Second Attempt to Start this November

Dr. Paris appeared before the City Commission last evening and made the following announcement:

Mr. Mayor, Commissioners, ladies and gentlemen: Some two years ago I signed a letter of cooperation with the 450th Centenary Committee. I did this and became a part of this city’s efforts to promote itself nationally. I did this because I love this city. It has been so good to me and all its residents. It is a privileged to live here.

The attention that my yacht, Kiwi Spirit, gained in the media for itself and the city, especially in yachting magazines, was much more than I had imagined. I am regretful that I had to abandon the voyage one third of the way around the world, after fifty days at sea. After my team saw photos of the cumulative damage aboard they urged me to head for Cape Town. It was of course a big disappointment to all of us, and incredibly difficult for me.

I have spent much of the month since I returned from Sth. Africa with the architects, builders, riggers, sail makers and other talented people to assess the practicality of my boat, Kiwi Spirit, being not only made whole again, but made stronger so that along with its now more experienced captain, I could more confidentially set forth again.

I am here tonight, choosing this Commission meeting, to formally announce that on or about this coming November 8, Kiwi Spirit and I shall begin again.

The records I wish to set are once again:

. First to sail from St. Augustine, solo, non-stop and non-assisted around the world

. To break the existing record of 150 days from Bermuda and return

. To be the first ever to have done it green

. To be the oldest to have done it solo

There will be a difference this time

Our start last time was postponed because of weather at the inlet and that could well occur again. But last time once I reached Bermuda the wind was mostly absent for three days and I languished during that time. Now my weather routers will be monitoring the weather for ten days out to avoid such an occurrence. Thus, while I set Saturday, November 8th as the date, it is a “soft date,” and while I expect a sendoff again, it will be fine with me if it is much lower key than before. However, on my successful return you can pull out as many stops as you wish.

Should I fail a second time, and the odds are of course high for many reasons, in additional to breakages, know that there will not be a third try as there is a limit to my wife Catherine’s tolerance for such things.

Thank you