Round-the-world solo yachtsman Stanley Paris has been seriously injured more than 2000km east of Porto Alegre, in Brazil, after falling from his mast.
The 76-year-old former Dunedin man has suspected cracked ribs and an injury to his left arm, but is soldiering on in his attempt to set a record to become the oldest and fastest person to sail solo around the world from Bermuda to Bermuda.
His attempt was nearly in tatters at the weekend, when he tried to repair a sail destroyed by stormy weather in the South Atlantic.
“The wind picked up and I was caught with a light headwind sail, which was in danger of being overloaded,” he said in his daily website blog.
“On several occasions I had to take the helm. It was a scary situation and no sleep for me. Finally at 4am, a gust blew out the sail and torn fabric filled the air with a swooshing sound. It was dark and there was nothing I could do but watch the sail self-destruct.”
“At dawn, he began the long process of getting the sail down and on deck before stuffing it away below. It was a task too dangerous to do at night”, he said.
While pulling on pieces of sail stuck in the shrouds, a piece suddenly gave way and Dr. Paris fell flat on his back on to a stainless steel dorade – a small box-shaped extrusion on the deck.
“The pain just below my left scapula was as much as any pain I have ever experienced.”
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