Sponsor Names Go On Kiwi Spirit

With eight days to go the corporate and individual sponsors whose support goes to the Foundation for Physical Therapy have been placed on the boat. My sincere thanks to them for supporting physical therapy research. If you feel left out your name can still go on a sheet that I shall carry around the globe. If I am successful you will be able to say that your name has sailed around the world nonstop and non-assisted. On my return they will be placed on the hull along with the names shown in the photos below. To do this go to https://foundation4pt.org/parissail/.

Kiwi Spirit II (KS2) has spent many months in design, build, testing and racing and now is almost ready to depart St. Augustine City Marina at 10:00 am on Saturday, November 18th. If successful (my team says, “when successful”), I will have established a first-time record from St. Augustine. Then its on to Bermuda where I will cross the line within one mile east of St David’s Light to begin the challenge on Dodge Morgan’s 150 day, 6 hours and 1 min record circumnavigation on a cruising sail yacht. It’s possible my boat being shorter (his 60 feet and mine 53) will not be as fast but not to worry just completing the voyage non-stop will make me at age 80 the oldest to have done a successful solo (current record is 71).

At present I am naturally nervous about what we might have overlooked. What spare part or repair material we do not have on board. What repair skill I do not possess. But that nervousness is starting to give way to excitement. I have been here before – twice in fact. While I am sure that KS2 is better prepared, I am very much aware that there is statistically less than a 50% chance of being successful. Third time lucky? I hope so.

Blogs will now be coming every three days. Please follow me on Yellow Brick which can be accessed at www stanleyparis.com and click on Yellow Brick to watch my progress across the oceans. Thank you for your interest and support.