Sailor Stanley Paris is a quarter of the way into his voyage around the globe and is preparing to face the “roaring forties”.

It has been 39 days since Doctor Paris, 77, set sail from St Augustine, Florida, and 33 days since he passed Bermuda.

As the weekend arrived, he was 140 miles south of Tristan da Cunha, and 1,500 miles west-southwest of Cape Town, South Africa, in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean.

He is preparing to face the “roaring forties” — strong westerly winds found in the Southern Hemisphere, generally between latitudes of 40 and 50 degrees — as he continues his journey around the Great Southern Ocean.

Blogging from his boat, he said: “Here I can experience winds with an average strength of 22 knots from predominantly the northwest, west and southwest. Of course, some winds will be weaker and others stronger.

“Hopefully we (Kiwi Spirit and I) are ready both mentally and physically.”

Dr Paris said he had secured items that could go flying in a gale, and that a storm jib — a small but strong headsail — was in place.

The Kiwi Spirit has not yet been tested in a full gale, he added, and he will use a drogue to slow down if conditions become unmanageable.

The retired physiotherapist is aiming to become the oldest person to circle the globe non-stop, non-assisted and “totally green” on his 64ft vessel, Kiwi Spirit. He is challenging a record set in 1986 by US sailor Dodge Morgan, who left St George’s in November 1985 and returned to Bermuda 150 days, one hour and six minutes later.

Dr Paris is aiming to complete his voyage in 148 days, and the Bermuda to Bermuda leg of the journey in 136 days.

This means he would beat Morgan’s record by 14 days.

His journey can be followed at www.stanleyparis.com