Sixteen-year-old to Circumnavigate Solo Unassisted

4:47 AM Sun 16 Nov 2008 GMT

'Michael Perham - about to set sail' .

British Teenager Michael Perham, 16, set off from Portsmouth England yesterday at 11.10am to sail alone and unassisted around the world, aiming to be the youngest sailor to do so. Currently the sailor holding this record is Australian Jesse Martin who achieved the feat in 1999, aged 18.

If Perham arrives back in Portsmouth on his planned date of March next year, he will be just 17. (Not to be confused with Californian Zac Sunderland's attempt to be the youngest solo sailor around the world, currently also held by an Australian David Dicks - the difference is in the term 'unassisted')

Michael at the wheel - photo by Julien Girardot DPPI - .. .

It's not the first time that Michael has sailed solo over long distances. Two years ago, he sailed the Atlantic solo, at the age of 14, with his father shadowing him in another boat. However, this kind of safety net will be missing this time.

Perham will sail along the African coast before crossing the Pacific and Southern Oceans via the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, Cape Leeuwin in Australia, and Cape Horn in South America. He will cover 21,600 nautical miles, crossing every single line of longitude and the equator, in four-and-a-half months, and his only contact with family members back home will be limited to brief satellite conversations.

The yacht Michael is sailing is a 1996 50ft (15.24m) Open racing yacht named TotallyMoney.com, after one of his sponsors, and chartered by his supporters for the challenge. It comes with a proven racing track-record, having been sailed in many ocean races, including the Newport to Bermuda, Atlantic Alone and Around Alone. The beam is 4.95m with a draft of 3.82, and she has a carbon bulb lead keel - quite a handful for a sixteen-year-old.

"I have dreamt about doing the world trip and now I can't wait to live that dream," he told the press melee before leaving yesterday. 'I'm a little bit nervous but otherwise really, really excited,' he said, admitting that the voyage was 'a little crazy'. 'It's just the feeling of being completely in control, relaxed and at one with nature. It's just fantastic. But you don't look forward to the fact you are alone for about four months.'

The youngster started sailing when he was aged seven and was inspired to break the record for crossing the Atlantic after Briton Sebastian Clover, aged 15, sailed from the Canary Islands, off the Moroccan coast, to Antigua in 2003.

Michael, looking very young to be undertaking such a journey - .. .

"The hardest thing is being away from friends and family. You struggle. People aren't made to be alone for months at a time and I'm very much a people person. I love having fun. That's the hardest part for me," he said.

His hugely ambitious plan to circumnavigate the globe was nurtured in the aftermath of his successful transatlantic crossing. "It didn't take him long to say: 'Dad, we've done the Atlantic, perhaps we could go round the world,'" his father Peter Perham, a chartered quantity surveyor, was quoted as saying.

"People who go out sailing with him say he's got what it takes to complete the trip. The difference with the Atlantic crossing is that if you take two boats on a trip, one can be a liability to the other. He's doing this because he wants to. It's a great demonstration that if you really set your heart on something you can make it happen," he added.

He set sail with with good luck messages scrawled on the housing of his satellite system, including one which said: "Be safe. Be strong. Be brave. I love you," from his girlfriend Beckie.

Any spare time on board will be dedicated to his coursework for the sports diploma he is undertaking at Oaklands College Athletics Academy in St Albans, Hertfordshire. Gary Anderson, director of performance at the academy, said: "Michael is a truly inspirational young man. We will be keeping a close eye on his progress. I will be making sure all his assignments still make it on time."

As some of Michael's friends study for their A-levels, he will battle subzero temperatures, 40ft waves and force eight winds during the epic voyage. Psychologists have helped to prepare him for the challenges ahead and he said his experience crossing the Atlantic will also stand him in good stead.

"I know what it's like to be alone from my last trip," Michael said. "There will be calm weather, rough weather, lots of highs and lows, things I have never expected. Things will break, things will be incredibly good. At times you can see 50 to 100 dolphins at once and it's incredible, they jump all around the boat. It's just fantastic."

The Southern Ocean, which is affected by some of the strongest winds and largest waves in the world, will pose the biggest challenge. "It's going to be full-on because the winds are so strong and it is so cold - but I think it will be the most fun part too, because it is also the fastest," said Michael.

The loneliest point will be Christmas Day. "It will be Christmas alone on the boat, and I won't even be able to stop off and get a tree."

Any money raised from his journey will be donated to two charities - Save the Children and the Tall Ships Youth Trust.

Sail-World will be following Michael's journey round the world, and to learn more about the courageous teen, go to his website

by BW News Roundup