World journey ends in victory

SAILING:Kerry yachtsman Damian Foxall last night became Ireland's first winner skipper of a round-the-world race when he and Jean-Pierre Dick ended their 25,000-mile marathon in Barcelona. Their winning time was 92 days, eight hours and 49 minutes.

They brought their Open 60-footer Paprec Virbac to the dock against a symphony of ships' sirens, fireworks and cheers from a large crowd on the shore. Tricolours of both nations were sprinkled through the enthusiastic gathering, with Kerry's colours also to the fore.

Foxall's achievement is his single most significant result in a long professional career that counts numerous ocean race wins as a crew-member.

Clearly elated and excited for the first time in three months, the duo spent the last few miles making satellite phonecalls to supporters and media ashore as the reward for their efforts came into view.

The lighter weather for the finish was in complete contrast to the conditions they encountered generally since starting out from Barcelona on November 11th.

However, with serious damage to their rigging, the team on Paprec Virbac were able to breathe easy that they had seen the last of the stormy weather, as having to pound through rough seas for the final few miles would have severely tested their temporary repairs.

Ironically, the worst conditions of the entire race were experienced at the Strait of Gibraltar in the last week, where officially Strong Gale Force winds blew constantly, creating rough, steep seas which they could not avoid to re-enter the Mediterranean.

Of the stressful moments in the race, Foxall described this as the worst given they knew that they were carrying damage.

The same weather was meted out to the pursuing Hugo Boss at the weekend, when Thompson and Cape left the Atlantic. The pair reported they had sustained damage and were obliged to bear away from their best course to effect repairs, a move that saw the gap between the boats open from 300 to 400 miles in one fell swoop.

In a message to shore yesterday, the Hugo Boss skippers were the first to offer their congratulations to Dick and Foxall, although the leaders still had 55 miles to sail at that point.

Still, in the best seafaring tradition - or perhaps superstition - the Franco-Irish pair refused to celebrate or claim victory prematurely.

Instead, they used the closing miles of the race to reflect and relive aspects of their intense competition and experiences after 92 days at sea, saving the euphoria for the confirmed victory that came when they heard the finishing cannon.

Their accomplishment, that of winning a two-handed, non-stop round-the-world race, was all the more remarkable given Foxall and Dick did not use a pit-stop, unlike three of the other boats.

Of the nine Open 60-footers which started in November, four were forced to retire completely with serious gear damage, such as broken rudders and dismastings.

So, after surviving the deep depressions of the Southern Ocean, trying to clear the rank cabin air with Baby Wet Wipes and getting to sleep each night with the words of Dolly Parton running through his mind - "One day at a time, sweet Jesus" - the Promised Land was found.