Owner & Skipper Alan Paris is no stranger to ocean racing. Alan’s family moved from NZ to Bermuda when he was 8 years old and he has spent a lifetime being in or around water. Alan’s time fluctuates between Queenstown in NZ and Bermuda. Alan has recorded 63,000 nm offshore sailing including 47,000nm single handed. Amongst his many achievements was competing in the ‘Around the World Alone’ single handed circumnavigation in an Open 40 during 2002-2003 race on a boat that Alan had built by Jon Sayer.
Sunshine Coast yacht designed Jon Sayer will be Alan’s co-skipper with this race being Jon’s 5th Melbourne Osaka race with the last four being completed on his own designed yachts.
Learning to Fly, is a new J99 boat hull #129 launched in April 2023 after arriving from Florida.