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LONDON - A 14-year-old British schoolboy has become the youngest person to sail single-handed across the North Atlantic Ocean after a voyage of more than six weeks.
Michael Perham battled rough weather and huge waves since taking three weeks off school and setting out from the tiny British dependent territory of Gibraltar, off southern Spain, on November 18.
"It feels absolutely fantastic being back on dry land, absolutely brilliant," he told BBC television from the Caribbean island of Antigua, where his arrival was greeted by a steel band and a welcoming party of boats.
His British-based spokesman, Kizzi Nkwocha, said that Michael had become "an inspiration to millions of youngsters".
"He's looking forward to being back on dry land, having a decent steak meal and seeing his family and friends again," he added.
Michael's boat, the 8.5-metre Cheeky Monkey, was being tailed in a separate vessel by his father Peter, an experienced sailor, with whom he was in regular radio contact.
The youngster started sailing when he was aged seven and was inspired to break the record after Briton Sebastian Clover, aged 15, sailed from the Canary Islands, off the Moroccan coast, to Antigua in 2003.
Michael's mother Heather told The Times that he would have "a lot of coursework to catch up on" when he returned to school in Hatfield, just north of London.
"I did get quite scared when I found out he had to tie a rope around his waist and dive into the water to fix something and when he was talking about sharks," she said.
"But you cannot expect your kids not to go out. You don't want them staying at home, fixed to the computer."
- AFP
