Mike Perham World Challenge

As I drove back from Portsmouth with a few friends and we were driving up my road we saw in the distance that the neighbours had totally decorated the whole circle that I live on with loads of flags, banners and bunting. A real warm feeling bubbled up inside me when I saw this and then saw my house, the last one on the whole road. Yesterday it was nice to have a good chance to see some friends and do some catching up. It's certainly been a long time so in the evening I went out to a great restaurant with some of them.

Things are getting a little more back to normal now what with a nice messy bedroom, clothes littered about everywhere needing washing and the kitchen piled up with stuff to go in the dishwasher! The whole house does look a bit like I have taken over. A lot of the house has now taken on a real 'boat' smell now and even some of my clothes smell rather strange which is funny. I keep getting odd looks.

BIG thanks to all the friends that offered their boot space in Portsmouth to get all my stuff back home. It now totals 15 loads and there are still a couple more to come. This afternoon I was in good old Tesco's doing a shop up with Mum and it was funny to see a few people recognise me from the TV and papers. Most people I've met say I've barely changed. Sure I've grown and matured a little but I'm still that fun loving 17 year old with a mental age of 8 who loves having fun and loads of laughs. Thank you to everyone for all the lovely emails that have been coming in from all over the world. It really makes me smile seeing them and I feel a sense of pride for everyone that has made this trip happen.

Also, thank you to everyone who has been donating to the charities. The two are really close to my heart and also hopefully later this year I'll be able to do some sailing with the Tall Ships Youth Trust which I'm looking forward to. I'm off now to go and draw a raffle at the 'big summer event' here where I live, so I better dash. I'll update later.

Oh and just to tease you all..... I hope to be announcing my next adventure on the 8th September!!!

Mike
©MikePerham2009

Tuesday 11th August 2009 - Day 139, Position: 09:00 UTC - 37 08.7N, 067 13.17W - 360 miles south east of New York. Speed: 11.4 kts. Distance to Ushant/Falmouth finish line: 2,600n.miles.

17-year-old yachtsman Mike Perham is now within 2,600 miles of sailing into the record books as the youngest solo circumnavigator. He now expects to reach the Lizard line marking the start and finish point of his 30,000 mile record-setting odyssey as early as August 24, two months inside the current record. Mike, who set out from England last November, has been making full use of the Gulf Stream since setting out on the final stage from Panama on July 28 and this morning, his yacht Totallymoney.com was 360 miles southeast of New York.

Mike reports:"Today, the wind has now picked up. We just had a gust of 34 knots and Totallymoney.com surfed out of it at 19 knots! What a boat! This morning, when it was just getting light, I had a couple of really nasty squall clouds come by with 40knots of wind, and we were careering along. Then, just as suddenly, the wind dropped back down to 10knots and without any warning, turned from southwesterly to easterly - Totallymoney.com did a big turn and began sailing back in the opposite direction! I couldn't believe it;there are obviously some serious local effects going on here... Ten minutes later, the wind suddenly spun round to the south and then southwest and off we went again. It has remained in the low teens since and I've been able to steadily tick off the miles once more.

I've noticed in a big way the difference in seawater temperature between here and the Caribbean. My daily shower on the foredeck with a bucket is certainly starting to feel a little chilly! It is good to be away from the major shipping routes now, though a few ships are still showing up on the radar each day, so I certainly won't be letting my guard down.' Once across the Ushant/Lizard finish line, Mike plans sail on up the English Channel back to Gunwharf Quay, Portsmouth to a reunion with family and friends on Wednesday 26th August. -- Barry Pickthall

The Challenge: Mike Perham set out to become the youngest person to sail around the world, starting his record attempt November 15th, 2008, on an Open 50 racing yacht TotallyMoney.com

Age: 16 years at the start of the record attempt (he turned 17 on 16th March 2009).

Education: Mike attends the Oakland's Sports Academy in St Albans, where he is studying for a National Diploma in Sports Performance and Excellence. The college is highly supportive of Mike's trip. As he will be away for around four and a half months of term, the college has redesigned his coursework to fit with the trip, and has organised some coursework for him to take on his journey for any quiet moments.

Sailing history: Mike started sailing at the age of seven and has never looked back. He has completed RYA courses in dinghy sailing and windsurfing. At the age of fourteen Mike became the youngest person to ever sail across the Atlantic single-handed. He still holds that world record today.

Hobbies: Besides sailing, Mike is into all water sports including canoeing and wind surfing, as well as biking, mountaineering and camping, and skiing.

Family: Mike's family includes his father Peter, his mother Heather and his older sister Fiona.

Charities. Mikes plan is to raise $24,000 [$39,656], $1 [$1.65] for each mile travelled, to two charities; Save the Children and the Tall Ships Youth Trust.

Quick interview prior to the start of the record attempt. Who taught you to sail?

My dad. He's been involved with sailing his whole life and as a result I've been sailing since I was very young.

How are you preparing for the physical side of the trip?

Well I work out a lot in order to be in the best physical condition I can be in for the trip - solo sailing is very physically demanding, so it's important that I'm in good shape.

How do you get in the right mindset to be alone at sea for four and a half months?

Right now I'm working with a sports psychologist who is teaching me various techniques to stay focused and emotionally healthy while I'm away. As for getting ready, every day right now is spent organising things and making plans for the trip which helps me to focus on the trip ahead and get into the right mindset. I'm very excited right now and can't wait to start!

What are you looking forward to most about the trip?

Just getting out there and doing it! The best thing about sailing is that it's just you and nature out there. There's none of the fast-paced, crazy existence we all live normally, so it's just incredible to be out there with nothing to distract you from the beauty of what you're doing.

Will you get much downtime during the trip to relax or is it full-on all the time?

There are times when there's no time to do anything other than focus one hundred per cent on sailing. But then there are times when I've got more time to relax and enjoy myself. I have two i-pods full of my favourite music, and a bunch of DVDs and books ready to take with me to make sure I don't get too bored. My school has even organised some coursework to take with me in case I get desperate!

Who is your biggest hero?

Definitely my dad. He is so supportive of everything I want to do and achieve, and he really puts me in the mindset where I can go out and live my dreams.

What would you say to all the people out there you are going to inspire with this trip?

Just go out and do whatever it is you want to do. Live your dreams every day. If you're interested in getting into sailing, just go to your local sailing club and get involved. Sailing is often perceived as a very expensive hobby, but it's not - there are always people looking for crews for their yachts, so you don't need all the equipment to begin with.

What's next for Mike?

I'm definitely already thinking about the next thing I want to do after this trip. I've been thinking about the Matterhorn in Switzerland. Bit of a change of scene! Beyond that I'd definitely love to be a professional sailor one day as a career. ©Sailmike2009