14-year-old set to become youngest person to sail solo across the Atlantic

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=425425&in_page_id=1770

At midnight on December 24, 14 year old Michael Perham set off a collision warning flare and celebrated Christmas with a spectacular light show in the middle of the ocean.

His 28-ft yacht had already been bedecked with an inflatable Santa in the rigging as he edged ever closer to making history by becoming the youngest person to sail across the Atlantic single handed.

The teenager, from land-locked Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, set off from Gibraltar on the 3,500-mile voyage to the Caribbean on November 18. He hopes to reach his destination off the island of Antigua, and break the world record for the youngest unaided sailor across the ocean, on January 2.

Speaking by satellite phone from his yacht, Cheeky Monkey 600 miles from Antigua, Michael said he was "cruising along quite nicely."

"The weather is gorgeous. The wind's quite high and I'm getting clear blue skies almost every day. This is the longest trip I've ever done. I'm coping fine," he said.

[Wiley50]

1. AWESOME! I Live On A 28 Footer

I Love These Stories!

[Pavulon]

2. Kinda cool

but that kid must have his shit stuffed neatly into one sock. That is a massive undertaking. Sailing open ocean is still one of the most dangerous sports.

Wish him well.

[Bonhomme Richard]

3. Great story. His boat is a little larger than mine...........

and I really have to hand it to him. I find it interesting that the boat is a trailerable with a swing keel (1/2 ton). My boat has a 1/4 ton swing keel and I didn't think that design was suitable for open ocean sailing. They mentioned the boat was modified so I wonder if they changed that.

[JerseygirlCT]

4. I can't decide if his parents are either incredibly brave or

completely out of their gourds.

I wasn't entirely sure I wanted my kid alone at the mall at that age!

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

6. insane...

Isn't it about ten years ago now that a girl of twelve crashed a Cessna or something flying across America?

[RamboLiberal]

9. That was Jessica Dubroff and she was only 7

and IMHO that was a stupid publicity stunt by the parents. ABC also played along by giving them a camera. Seemed like it was a epidemic at the time of parents and kids trying to set the youngest age.

[Pavulon]

10. Depends on the kid

Given the proper mental state and life long training sure. He would have to understand that doing this thing involves risk of death. Depending on his course, there are places you can sail where if you have a problem you might as well be in space.

[soup]

11. Not so crazy.

His dad is following about 2 miles behind. Still quite a brave undertaking, though.

and from the article:
"Michael is raising money for charity on his voyage and has so far raised around £1,000 for Children In Need and £600 for Royal Yachting Association Sailability."

[JerseygirlCT]

13. That helps a bit, doesn't it?

Guess I'm just over-protective, but just the idea scares me!

[valerief]

5. Reminds me of that adolescent who was flying and then crashed and died.

Not a smart thing to put a child in such a dangerous situation. But I guess the kids in Darfur have it much worse.

[BrotherBuzz]

14. Reminds me of a 16 year old Robin Lee Graham who sailed around the world in 1965

He was sponsored and featured by National Geographic Magazine and later told his story in his book DOVE. Sixteen years old at the time, he was the youngest to sail around the world alone. He inspired many others in his wake including me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Lee_Graham

[Squatch]

7. Fair winds and following seas, little sailor dude!

[uppityperson]

8. Good luck Michael

[hayu_lol]

12. One kid who will never be the same again...

not locked into video games and the rest of today's world.

Good cause as well. Good for him!

[lumberjack_jeff]

15. Good luck Michael!

This is a crash course in self-reliance.

Those of you interested in the topic should read "Maiden Voyage" about Tania Aebi who became the youngest woman to circumnavigate. The lack of preparedness at her initial departure is harrowing, but she made it okay.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

16. Impressive young man...

...reminds me a bit of the Tania Aebi story:

http://www.latsandatts.net/store/product.php?productid=168

[karlrschneider]

17. I say good for him. He reminds me of a kid I signed off when he was 14

to solo 5 different airplanes. Five other flight instructors also signed him off...he soloed FORTY TWO different planes on his 14th birthday. I'm confident that will never be done again.

[TreasonousBastard]

18. Awesome, but...

good thing he had good weather and wasn't hit by a whale or passing steamer while asleep at night.

For a fascinating read about possibly the oldest single-handed sailor try Chichester's book about how he went around the world with only one stop when he was 65.

http://www.gipsymoth.org/sir-francis-chichesters-books2.asp

I had another book about some guy who went across the Atlantic in something like a 14 footer, bobbing like a cork and then wondering how he made it after it was all over. Half way across the loneliness got to him and his brain invented an imaginary companion who he never thought to ask just how he got on the boat.

And, then, there was the small boat with 3 Indians in it trying to sail from England back home (didn't have enough for plane fare) and got about 100 miles out when the Brits picked them up circling aimlessly.

People who do this sort of thing are a bit nuts to begin with, but God bless 'em all-- we need more of them.

[BrotherBuzz]

19. Imaginary companions are not uncommon

I've sailed with two people that talked extensively about their imaginary friends on long solo trips. One sailer could only convince himself that his friend wasn't real when he noticed he wasn't in sync with real life and didn't rock with the boat. The other embraced his friend, convinced the she was good luck for the boat. He named her Siren Lucy. I guess Siren Lucy abandoned him because he was ultimately struck by a freighter and died. Oh, like a lot of us, he was inspired by Chichester, too.

http://www.oceanrowing.com/peter_bird.htm

I liked Chichester's alarm system employed in unsavory ports: roofing tacks scattered on the deck at night.

[soup]

20. Update: He made it!

Wednesday, 3 January 2007, 18:06 GMT

Boy sails into the record books

A 14-year-old boy has arrived in Antigua to become the youngest person to sail the Atlantic single-handed.

Michael Perham, from Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, ended his 3,500-mile voyage when he sailed into Nelson's Dockyard at 1400 GMT.

Michael takes the record from Isle of Wight teenager Seb Clover, who was 15 when he made the crossing in 2003.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott called Michael a "successful sailor in the great British maritime tradition".

The teenager, who has spent six weeks at sea, was escorted into dock by a flotilla of boats.
>snip<
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/beds/bucks/herts/6226775.stm

[Jacobin]

21. Excellent. Bon Voyage and safe landing!