Around Alone competitor Alan Paris will almost certainly be forced to abort his original plan to sail within waving distance of Bermuda as he continues to struggle on the final leg of the race from Santiago in Brazil to Newport, Rhode Island.

Bermudian Paris had hoped make a short ‘pit-stop' in St. George's Harbour around mid-day yesterday in order to say hello to friends and family on the shoreline before completing his epic round-the-world journey. But frustratingly light winds have slowed his progress and it now appears likely that he will miss Bermuda altogether as he attempts to reach the finish by this weekend.

In a despatch to The Royal Gazette just before mid-day yesterday, Paris said: “Twelve miles away is a line of thunderstorms that should herald the new weather, which unfortunately will bring northwest winds. My course will then be north and hard on the port tack. This will have the effect of pushing me away from Bermuda.

“Bermuda lies 185 nautical miles to my NW and Newport is now 802 nautical miles to the NNW. There is a chance that the gap between this weather pattern and the next will allow me to head in a more westerly direction, but by then I will probably be north of Bermuda.

“So what is it I am trying to say? It looks unlikely that I will be anywhere near Bermuda, unfortunately.”