Hatfield limps into Hobart from Southern Ocean

8:50 PM Sat 3 Jan 2009 GMT

'Look out for this boat arriving Hobart - Spirit of Canada' .

If you are around the Hobart docks (or make sure you are) on Sunday(4th Jan 2009), you may be in for an unusual sight. It will be one solo yachtsman on a fast Open 60 racing boat limping (which means a mere 8 knots) up the Derwent River.

If you see such a sight, it'll be Derek Hatfield, the solo Canadian yachtsman whose boat was badly damaged when it was upended in heavy seas in the Southern Ocean while participating in the Vendee Globe round world solo race. He is expected to arrive in Hobart this Sunday morning where he'll be reunited with his young family.

Derek retired from the endurance race after his yacht, Algimouss Spirit of Canada, was battered by freezing winds on December 28.

He was below deck when the yacht was upended and its mast badly damaged.

Despite this, he was determined to continue and sail the 900 nautical miles to Hobart unaided.

About 2pm (AEST) on Saturday, the yachtsman was off the Tasmanian south-coast and expected to reach Hobart by mid-morning on Sunday, his spokesman Bruce Montgomery said.

"He's fine, he's tired. But, he's in reasonable health given what he's gone through," Mr Montgomery said.

He said Hatfield was looking forward to being reunited with his wife and two children - one aged four years and the other four months - who were arriving in Hobart from Canada on Saturday.

Mr Montgomery said the damage to his boat had forced Hatfield to travel at significantly reduced speeds to get to Hobart. "He's had to sail tentatively just to make sure his mast doesn't fall down.

Instead of doing 18 knots, he is doing eight," Mr Montgomery said.

"He's been sailing like that since December the 28."

Hatfield was the 13th competitor to retire from the challenging Vendee Globe round-the-world race, which began on November 9 when a flotilla of 30 boats left the western French port of Les Sables d'Olonne.

by Nancy Knudsen

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Hatfield limps into Hobart from Southern Ocean

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