Maltese-Australian plans round-the-world voyage

A Maltese man living in Australia yesterday took part in the notoriously tough Sydney-Hobart race, the first "step" in a voyage that will see him sail around the world on his little yacht.

Alex Whitworth, 62, together with Peter Crozier, 59, took part in the Sydney-Hobart race as they have done for the past 10 years. But then they intend to sail to England... via the Falkland Islands, near Argentina.

Mr Whitworth's mother, Ethel, who lives in Birguma, will be keeping her fingers crossed as her son would have to cross the Indian and Atlantic Oceans.

"His father was a Fleet Air Arm pilot and so was he, until he started sailing. Now he lives for the sea. I know he is a good sailor but I tend to worry a bit about him. He always tries to put my mind at rest and told me that the Sydney-Hobart race is far more treacherous than the round-the-world trip... but a mother will always be a mother," she said.

Mr Whitworth and Mr Crozier plan to sail on the Berrimilla, a 33-foot yacht designed by Peter Joubert and built 27 years ago. Berrimilla is one of the smallest boats in the Sydney to Hobart fleet.

The two plan to be in England by June, to take part in Fastnet, a 608-mile race from England to Fastnet, on the south west coast of Ireland, and back.

They will then return to Sydney, probably calling at Gibraltar, Cape Town and Melbourne on the way. They hope to be back in Sydney in time to again compete in the Sydney-Hobart race of next year.

Mr Whitworth, a sailing instructor, and Mr Crozier have been talking about the trip for years and now that they are both self-employed they decided to go for it.

Mr Whitworth has sailed numerous Sydney-Hobart races and the tough Gosford to Lord Howe Island race. In the 1998 race, most of the participants withdrew due to a freak storm and six crewmen of other yachts vanished but the Berrmilla, skippered by Mr Whitworth, made it.