More than three weeks after setting sail from New York, Bermudian Alan Paris finally completed the first leg of The Around Alone Race in the wee hours of Tuesday morning.

He docked in Torbay Harbour on England's southwest coast at 4 a.m. - exactly 22 days and 10 hours after he cast off in the United States on September 15.

His BTC Velocity was the last of 13 vessels in the race to finish stage one, having been thwarted in its quest for a speedy transatlantic crossing by several days of low - and sometimes even no - winds.

"Boy, is it good to be here! It's good to have it over with! It was not easy," declared the 37-year-old sailor in an e-mail to The Royal Gazette yesterday.

Paris noted that this transatlantic journey, his third for the year, was "by far the most difficult in terms of weather frustration". There were five days when he averaged less than 65 nautical miles daily. This lack of wind, he explained, was due to a non-forecast high pressure "and there was nowhere to go but wait".

Now spending some time with his wife, Becky, and son, Tucker, who were awaiting his arrival, Paris was upbeat - and even joking - about the second leg between Torbay and Cape Town, South Africa, which starts on Sunday.

"There is an area called the Doldrums that we cross which is famous for light air. I have had the most practice in these conditions. So watch out fellow racers - I will be fast," he wrote.

Paris said that leg should take about 45 days and, in preparation, he and Becky had been shopping for food and other necessities while his boat underwent minor repairs.

Two more solar panels were added to help battery charging, a masthead wind instrument was repaired, a sail was patched and the articulating radar mount had to be fixed.

"A little more rest in a flat, comfortable bed, some time with the wife, son and family and I am ready to go. Let's get on with the race," added an enthusiastic Paris.

Ironically, the winds he so desperately desired on the first stretch have whipped up off Torbay in recent days and gale-force conditions have resulted in whitecaps and short, choppy seas.

Southern England is experiencing its highest tides in 30 years and waves are breaking over the seawall. However, the forecast is for the gales to diminish in the coming days.