It's a case of "oh so close, but yet so far" for Bermudian sailor Alan Paris, now aiming to complete the second leg of the Around Alone Race to South Africa.

Though he can "almost see the top of Table Mountain" as he nears Cape Town, the skipper is finding himself plagued by the same problem that he endured towards the end of the first leg in Torbay, England - light winds.

"Finding a flat spot in the wind is bad enough when you are mid-voyage but when you can almost see the top of Table Mountain, it becomes downright painful," said an Internet report, describing the trouble Paris has encountered.

However, Paris is confident that his fortunes will soon change and that his vessel, BTC Velocity, will soon be moving merrily to its destination and his eagerly-anticipated rendezvous with his wife Becky and son who have flown from Bermuda to meet him.

"When the wind fills in it will be a headwind just like in leg one," he explained.

As he awaits the wind, Paris has busied himself getting clean and well-groomed to greet his loved ones in the coming days.

"I took a shower and shaved for the first time in 20 plus days . . . the beard was an interesting task and took about 30 minutes to remove but the shower felt amazing," he added.

Given the current conditions, the Bermudian is expected to arrive in Cape Town sometime tomorrow.