Cabot Lyman joins Dr Stanley Paris for Bermuda-Antigua journey

by Meaghan Van Liew on 6 Dec 2012 After completing his Newport to Bermuda journey within a day, Dr. Stanley Paris is once again out on the high seas aboard his new Paris-63 boat 'Kiwi Spirit' with yachtsman Cabot Lyman as he takes another major step towards becoming the oldest and fastest person to single-handedly sail around the world non-stop.

Stanley Paris is a man in motion. Following the launch of his Farr-designed Kiwi Spirit, he immediately began sea trials, tweaking the boat to optimize all systems for short-handed and solo sailing. Only 2 weeks after launching the custom-designed monohull at the Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding facility in Maine, Paris took off for Newport, Rhode Island. A few days later, and Paris was off again, immersing Kiwi Spirit in her first truly offshore experience sailing some eight hundred miles from Newport to St. George's, Bermuda.

'In 24-hours we covered 238 miles, averaging 10 knots,' said Paris. 'My fastest sail ever! At one point we reached 27.1 knots. This boat is just awesome!'

As dawn came to Bermuda this morning, Stanley Paris and his crew of 3 released the lines and headed out to sea once again, headed for Antigua. This time, esteemed yachtsman Cabot Lyman, owner of Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding Company, is aboard. It is the first time that Lyman will sail Kiwi Spirit offshore since his team in Thomaston, Maine poured thousands of hours into the planning and construction of the sleek, speedy yacht.

'This project has been a lot of fun,' said Lyman. 'The difference between this boat and a lot of projects we do is we had a very definitive mission. Stanley wants to go around the world non-stop - to be the oldest, greenest, and fastest at that age.'

Paris will train for the next twelve months aboard Kiwi Spirit readying himself for the circumnavigation. He intends to compete in a variety of racing events, including the Caribbean 600, Charleston to Bermuda, Bermuda 1-2, and Marblehead to Halifax regatta, in addition to deliveries and other sail training. Paris aims to best the benchmark set by Dodge Morgan in 1986 when he sailed the cruising yacht American Promise around the world from Bermuda to Bermuda in 150 days.

No stranger to endurance events, Paris swam the English Channel twice and racked up some 60,000 miles sailing. He also completed the Ironman World Championship triathlon in Hawaii. This year alone, his adventurous spirit sent him racing a motorbike across the U.S. in less than 50 hours coast to coast and completing a half-marathon.

Unlike most sailing endeavors today which consistently seek commercial sponsorship and goodwill donations, Paris will complete his mission in the Corinthian spirit of sailing. Instead of seeking funds to execute his mission, he will fund the entire project personally and ask those interested to support his favorite charity, the Foundation for Physical Therapy. Individuals and companies are able to place their name aboard Kiwi Spirit for a small donation, which goes directly to the non-profit organization.

The hull of Kiwi Spirit is built out of epoxy-infused carbon, E-glass and Kevlar with a thermo-core that is both stiff and lightweight. There is a hydraulic lifting keel which draws 14 feet, nine inches (down) for excellent upwind performance and eight feet, seven inches when the keel is up. There are four water ballast compartments to help counter the powerful rig and make the boat more comfortable in heavy air. An easy-to-manage sail plan has been incorporated, with all lines leading aft to the cockpit. Stanley Paris blog