They have cheered him on by e-mail and in the media but in mid-May Bermudians will be able to give solo sailor, Alan Paris, some hometown support in person.

If all goes according to plan, the Around Alone adventurer will pass his homeland during the second week of next month en route to creating history.

This will afford his compatriots the opportunity to salute his quest to become the first Bermudian to circumnavigate the world single-handed. Fittingly, this tribute will come on Paris' fifth and final leg of a journey that began last September in New York.

"I should be coming by Bermuda around May 10th. When I come by I will pause around St.David's Head. Hopefully it's in daylight hours - and I don't arrive at midnight - and the weather is clement so I can spend some time there sailing around and probably get close to town before I head off to Newport (Rhode Island) for the finish," said Paris, speaking to The Royal Gazette by satellite phone from Salvador, Brazil, yesterday.

In the event of such an occasion, he pointed out, he is not allowed to come into contact with anybody.

"No-one's even allowed to throw me a cold beverage. That would be considered outside assistance and I would be disqualified.

"I can anchor but that's difficult so I'll just sail around and possibly do some interviews via my cell phone."

On an interesting note, the 38-year-old pointed out that when he reaches Bermuda his circumnavigation will "technically" be completed though there will still be 650 miles to finish the race.

"In the rules of sailing around the world single-handed you have to sail from a point in the northern hemisphere, around all that I have done to this point, and to a point in the north Atlantic.

"So my arrival in Bermuda on the way to Newport truly signifies a completion of the solo circumnavigation."

Now that his long-cherished goal looks close to becoming a reality, Paris, who completed his fourth and penultimate leg on Saturday in Brazil, has begun to consider life after his long voyage.

One of the stark realities is that the 40-foot vessel - BTC Velocity - which has taken him on this unforgettable trip must be sold to help offset his expenses. Its owner hopes he can reach an arrangement which would allow the boat to remain in Bermuda as a piece of the Island's history.

"It wouldn't necessarily be that somebody would buy it immediately. I wish that it could in some manner be an exhibit on the Island and that over a period of years someone could buy it from me. I would certainly be willing to come up with a relatively long-term payment plan just to have it on the Island.

"It would just be a shame - once I complete my next 4,000 miles - that a bit of Bermudian history might not be on the Island," he said.

Revealing that his Around Alone campaign has cost very close to $500,000, Paris explained that he was "$200,000 in the hole" having raised $300,000 for the venture.

"I never expected to make any money from this. In fact, I never even expected to break even. You can't expect people to buy your dream so I am not complaining at all. I hope people understand that but I am $200,000 short and I have been unemployed for two years so the boat must be sold."

Paris, who begins his final leg on April 13, noted that the boat's sale was not something he could consider before as he had not rounded the treacherous Cape Horn which he successfully negotiated - albeit through gale-force conditions and with some sail damage - on his fourth leg.

"Now, with only 4,000 miles left, I dare to believe I might be able to complete this."

Still the Bermudian is guarded about celebrating the end of the race prematurely.

"Cautious optimism is probably the right term. Mother Nature can always reach out and strike you but, after sailing 26,000 miles, you have to believe that you can do it.

"It's been fantastic. In life, when you've actually achieved a dream, you're a very lucky person and I am very close to being able to do that."

Asked about his biggest fear before he started, Paris chuckled and replied: "My biggest apprehension at the start was not completing it because I'd be a very difficult person if I didn't complete the race."