British teenager sails into Atlantic record books

A 14-year-old British boy sailed into the record books yesterday as the youngest person to make a solo voyage across the Atlantic.

Michael Perham, who skipped school to make the trip, cruised into Nelson's Dockyard in Antigua at 10 a.m. (1400 GMT) to be met by steel bands, after an arduous six weeks crossing 3,500 miles of open water from Gibraltar, followed by his father.

"It feels absolutely fantastic being back on dry land. Absolutely brilliant," Michael told BBC television as he stood on the dockside with his father and surrounded by well-wishers.

"The worst bit was being away from my family and people generally. It was really a fantastic trip. I enjoyed almost every minute of it," he added. "I am looking forward to a nice warm bed."

Mother Heather at the family home north of London said she was proud but also relieved the pair had completed the trip.

"It is just an amazing feeling to know they are both safe," she said.

The previous holder of the record was Seb Clover who was 15 when he completed the shorter solo voyage to Antigua from Tenerife in January 2003 after three weeks at sea, also tailed by his father. Michael, who started sailing when he was seven, already had several thousand miles under his belt before he began the latest - and to date longest - voyage.

In a modified 28-foot yacht named Cheeky Monkey, Michael had hoped to complete the trip following the trade winds in about four weeks, but had to divert to Lanzarote and the Cape Verde islands when his navigation equipment failed.

The trip for both father and son has been hampered by bad weather and equipment damage, including the rudder on father Peter's boat and the sea anchor on the Cheeky Monkey.

In his diary blog, Michael, who is described on his www.sailmike.com website as cheerful and determined with a love of outdoor sports and chocolate, describes the loneliness and ups and downs of the epic voyage.

"Experienced my first experience of squalls, they really do knock your teeth out," he wrote on November 25. He described how on December 15 he had to tie a rope around his waist and jump overboard to cut free his steering gear.

He expressed joy at seeing dolphins skimming alongside his boat and flying fish landing in his lap.

"It is an amazingly good feeling when you are on the open sea and no land in sight," he wrote.

He even said he managed to do a bit of homework.

Peter, 47, sailed close by and was always in radio contact but under the rules of solo yachting was not allowed to make physical contact during the voyage.