Spirit of Canada closes the loop in Around Alone

by Brian Hancock on 1 Jun 2003 The quiet Canadian, skipper Derek Hatfield on board Open 40 Spirit of Canada, closed the loop on Around Alone 2002-03 when he crossed the finish line off Castle Hill at 10:56:25 local time (14:56:25 GMT) in Newport RI.

The ocean off Rhode Island undulated lazily with a slight swell under a hazy summer sky as Spirit of Canada slipped through the water towards the finish in a light southwesterly breeze. Hatfield now confirms his 3rd place on the podium for Class 2 with 37 points, despite an overall elapsed time of 245 days, 15 hrs, 44 mins, 45 secs.

Derek Hatfield’s Around Alone effort is the human endeavour story of this race. When all seemed lost after the devastating pitchpole and dismasting at Cape Horn on March 7th during Leg 4, Hatfield’s courage and tenacity kept the project going and his finish in Newport this morning is a testament to the strong will and never-give-up attitude that epitomized this campaign.

In Derek’s final email from Spirit of Canada he thanked two key people that helped him get back on track. “To Al Power of Decoma International and Andrew Pindar of Pindar Group, thank you very much for your kind generosity and belief in Spirit of Canada.

Without you, we definitely would not have been able to attain the goal that we set out to do.”

When Spirit of Canada approached the finish line, Hatfield glanced over to the committee boat and noticed a diminutive figure standing alongside his own parents. Three months ago when in Tauranga, Derek had met a 7yr old boy called Bryce Holmes, who had welcomed him at the dock and became his biggest fan.

Derek had no idea that Bryce had made the trip to the US to witness his arrival, and the delight on Hatfield’s face was a sight to behold. Small moments like that one make the worst storm fade instantly into a distant memory.

Derek’s race on his Bob Dresser designed Open 40 held some big moments too – like when he won his class in the Prologue race from Newport to New York, and beat two of the larger 50 footers into England at the end of Leg 1.

But the most lasting impact will be the 5 week period spent in Ushuaia in Southern Argentina fixing the boat after the dismasting and especially returning to the spot where he had capsized. “It was a very emotional time. I forced myself to not think about where I was and what had happened. It was night when I got back to the exact spot where the boat had flipped and it was really spooky. I just kept thinking about the race ahead.”

By closing the loop on this Around Alone, Derek becomes Canada’s second sailor to finish the Around Alone, John Hughes being the first in 1987. The emotion in his voice was very evident when Derek described how he felt about his accomplishment. “The one thing that surprised me was how weak I felt,” he said. “There were times when I felt really emotional and fragile, especially once the other boats had finished. But I found a sure way to combat those feelings. I took a nap. It’s amazing how even a short 5-minute nap can change your outlook. It really was one of the keys to my success.”

Hatfield hopes to build upon this success and field a Class 1 entry in the next event, 5 Oceans 2006. “I know the race is doable again, and I know what to do now. I’d like to blow up my boat into a 60, it was right on target for this race, but I would change a few things. It can be better and given time on the water and the right budget I could be very competitive, perhaps even win the next race.”

Around Alone 2002-03 Overall Rankings
Go to official website homepage for Leg and Overall Rankings Tables

Class 1

1. Bobst Group – Armor Lux: 49 points / 115 days 17hrs 27m 23s

2. Solidaires: 45 points / 118 days 12hrs 51m 48s

3. Tiscali: 35 points / 159 days 19hrs 53m 11s

4. Pindar: 33 points / 131 days 19hrs 45m 49s

5. Ocean Planet: 30 points / 159 days 5hrs 41m 42s

Class 2

1. Tommy Hilfiger Freedom America: 50 points / 148 days 16 hrs 54m 42s

2. Everest Horizontal: 44 points / 169 days 23hrs 6m 28s

3. Spirit of Canada: 37 points / 245 days 15hrs 44m 45s

4. Spirit of yukoh: 36 points / 180 days 0hrs 6m 25s

5. BTC Velocity: 30 points / 202 days 10hrs 9m 52s

Around Alone 2002-03 Awards

Around Alone 2002-03 Class 1 Winner’s Shield Bernard Stamm

Around Alone 2002-03 Class 2 Winner - Shuten Doji Award Brad Van Liew

Harry Mitchell Trophy for the fastest Open 40 Kojiro Shiraishi

Raymarine Communication Awards – Class 1 Emma Richards

Raymarine Communication Awards – Class 2 Brad Van Liew

Dry Creek Vineyard 24hr Distance Record – Class 1 Bernard Stamm

Dry Creek Vineyard 24hr Distance Record – Class 2 Brad Van Liew