25th May 2003
THE LAST WEEK FOR HATFIELD
Derek Hatfield on Spirit of Canada has entered his last week of the Around Alone. If all goes well Hatfield should be in Newport by next weekend and with his arrival this edition of the Around Alone will officially come to an end. For now he is still enjoying fast sailing and temperate weather, more than can be said for the very unseasonably cold conditions in Newport. Derek is keeping a watchful eye on the weather ahead and starting to think about life after the race.
"The sailing has been very good for the last twenty four hours," he wrote. "It should last all the way up to Bermuda and then a frontal system will pass through on Monday night or early Tuesday. It will bring stronger winds but hopefully I will still be sailing in a downwind direction. Today is sunny and hot again although the temperatures are starting to moderate in the evenings. I can tell I'm getting close to Bermuda as the temperature reindexs almost constant between 78 and 84 degrees year around there. Talk about paradise. But I still think I prefer the seasons. I'm not sure how close I will pass to Bermuda but Alan has asked me to let him know if I'm close enough to see the island. Bermuda has a number of large reefs running out from it and it is best to give it a wide berth without detailed charts. My last week in the Around Alone 2002/03 coming up. Happy Memorial Day Weekend if you are in the United States."
If Spirit of Canada averages 7.5 knots, not an unreasonable speed, we can expect to see the boat sail into Newport sometime on Friday evening. It's still too early to predict an ETA, but of you are making plans for next weekend, be sure to keep them flexible and plan on coming down to greet this great sailor as he completes his circumnavigation.
--- Brian Hancock great.circle@verizon.net
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