Alan Paris' quest to be the first Bermudian to solo sail around the world ran out of wind yesterday - luckily the BTC Velocity was only competing in a 160 nautical mile prologue race from Newport to New York City.

The official start of the Around Alone Race that Paris is participating in is set for noon tomorrow from New York's Battery Park.

Paris' boat was carrying a crew of sponsors from Newport but after tomorrow he will be on his own for 28,000 miles of open ocean in a race anticipated to take seven months.

All six of the boats competing in the Class One Open 60 category arrived at Pier 86 in New York harbour yesterday afternoon.

Italian yacht Tiscali, the race favourite, crossed first to take prologue honours at 2 p.m.

Last in, some two hours later, was the race's only female entrant 27-year-old Emma Mitchell on Pindar.

The smaller Class Two Open 50s, in which BTC Velocity is competing, were expected late yesterday afternoon but the winds failed them.

Race Communications Manager, Mary Ambler said the wind typically drops out in New York Harbour in the afternoon.

“Last night the wind turned to the south west so they have been beating all the way as well which slowed them down,” she said.

BTC Velocity was fifth in its class at 6 p.m., trailing Canadian Brad Hatfield's Spirit of Canada, John Dennis' Bayer Ascencia and Tommy Hilfiger Freedom America skippered by Brad Van Lieu.