From the beginning the 63-foot sloop Kiwi Spirit was destined to go on a diet. Dr. Stanley Paris' Farr-designed and Lyman Morse built boat has two modes: comfortable performance cruiser and stripped down ocean racer. After winning line honors in the 2013 Bermuda One-Two in its performance cruiser mode, Kiwi Spirit has recently returned to Lyman Morse in Thomaston, Maine, to have much of its interior removed, making the boat as light as possible for Paris' planned departure from St. Augustine, Fla. on November 30 on an attempted solo, nonstop circumnavigation. Paris will be contending to break a slew of records, including:
• Oldest to solo circumnavigate, non-stop and non-assisted – 76
• First to complete a green voyage – no gas, diesel, propane, etc
According to Lyman Morse, Kiwi Spirit has been relieved of several hundred pounds of weight. The extracted items — berths, toilets, pots and pans, clothing, drawers and doors — will be put into storage. Below are some pictures of the slimming down by contributing editor John Snyder.