Michael Perham

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Michael Perham

Perham aboard his boat before setting off on his around-the-world attempt, 15 November 2008
Born 16 March 1992 (1992-03-16) (age 18)
Residence Potters Bar, Hertfordshire
Occupation Yachtsman
Parents Peter and Heather Perham[1]
For the current Bishop of Gloucester, see Michael Francis Perham.

Michael Perham (born 16 March 1992[2] in Hertfordshire, England) is a young man from Potters Bar who, at the age of 17 years and 164 days, became the youngest person to sail around the world solo in the 50ft racing yacht totallymoney.com, completing his journey on 27 August 2009. Perham's record surpassed that of Zac Sunderland, an older 17 year old American, set only six weeks earlier.

Previously, Perham had crossed the Atlantic Ocean single-handed when he helmed the 28 foot (8 metres) Cheeky Monkey between Gibraltar and Antigua with repair stops in the Canary Islands and Cape Verde between 18 November 2006 and 3 January 2007. That voyage ended when he sailed into Nelson's Dockyard in Antigua at 14:00 GMT after a 3500-mile voyage.[3] His father crossed the Atlantic at the same time in a separate boat.[4]

Perham took the Guinness World Record from Seb Clover who crossed when he was 15 in 2003.[3][5] Perham started sailing at the age of seven.[4]

Perham was educated at the state Chancellor's School in the village of Brookmans Park in Hertfordshire.[6]


Michael Perham sailed across the Atlantic in Cheeky Monkey (pictured on the right) at the age of 14.

Contents

[edit] Global circumnavigation

On 15 November 2008, Perham began his solo non-stop circumnavigation around the world from Gunwharf Quays[1] in Portsmouth, England, in his chartered Open 50 yacht, totallymoney.com (named after the principal sponsors). He had to sell the vessel he used on his previous record attempt to raise money for the new record attempt.[7] The journey was planned to take four and a half months and to cover some 40,000 km. In fact he completed it on 27 August 2009. Perham was 16 when he began the journey, and turned 17 on 16 March 2009, while crossing the Indian Ocean making him the youngest solo round-the-world sailor.[8]

Michael Perham arrives at Gunwharf Quays on 29th August 2009

If Perham's trip had gone wholly to plan, he would have been competing for the "unassisted non-stop" record, which is a different record than the assisted sailing record. However, multiple problems with the autopilot required that repairs be made in lengthy stopovers in Lisbon and the Canary Islands; then further stops were made in Cape Town, Hobart and Auckland. By March 2009 Perham had decided to aim for the record of the youngest solo circumnavigation, though he continued to make a continuous passage without use of his engine. The decision to accept assistance along the way, along with harsh winter conditions, led Perham to elect to transit the Panama Canal rather than sail around Cape Horn.

Money raised from the voyage was to be donated to Save the Children and the Tall Ships Youth Trust.[1]

Perham took the record from Zac Sunderland, an American who completed his journey in July 2009 at the age of 17 years, 7 months. However, Sunderland's record was not recognized by Guinness due to him taking a brief break to fly home to celebrate Christmas with his family.[9] Perham and Sunderland met unexpectedly in Cape Town, South Africa, in February 2009, along with Minoru Saito, a Japanese sailor who is the oldest person to circumnavigate the world solo.[10]

The record is now being challenged by younger sailors. Jessica Watson from Australia (whom Michael met when he stopped in Australia) departed on 18 October 2009 on a solo non-stop voyage. Abby Sunderland from the USA (sister to Zac Sunderland) departed on 23 January 2010.

Perham has afterwards written a book about the journey, called Sailing the Dream, released 18 March 2010. It has ISBN 0593065980.

[edit] Homecoming

Perham officially crossed the finishing line at 09:47:30 local time on 27th August 2009. He was escorted across the line by HMS Mersey (a Royal Navy guard ship), a Royal Naval helicopter and a flotilla of small boats, mostly carrying people from the press and media.[11]

Perham's official homecoming reception and press conference was at Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth on 29th August 2009[12], where he was met by friends, family and Vendee Globe yachtsman Tony Bullimore. Shortly after landing back on shore, Perham was handed his framed Guinness World Record certificate.

Michael Perham arrives back at Gunwharf Quays, 29 Aug 2009

Michael Perham greeted by Tony Bullimore

Michael Perham with Guinness World Record certificate

[edit] Next challenge

Mike Perham plans to be part of a challenge called the BountyBoat Expedition[13], led by Don McIntyre. It aims to sail a very small open boat in the path of the small boat sailed by the crew from the Mutiny on the Bounty in year 1798. It will be 4000 nm long and not use any navigational aids at all, like it was done in 1798. This expedition plans to depart in April 2010.

[edit] Youth solo sailing circumnavigations

Australian Jesse Martin currently holds the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC) record for the youngest person to circumnavigate the world, solo, non-stop, and unassisted. Recently the WSSRC have discontinued their endorsement of the age records for youngest (and oldest) solo circumnavigators.[14]

Sailor Port of departure Date of
departure		 Date
completed		 Duration
(days)		 Age at
completion		 Notes
Robin Lee Graham  USA Los Angeles, USA 14 September 1965 30 April 1970 1689 &0000000000000021.00000021 years, &0000000000000056.00000056 days Solo, with stops. See The Dove (film).
Tania Aebi  USA New York 28 May 1985[15] 6 November 1987[16] 892 &0000000000000021.00000021 years, &0000000000000030.00000030 days Solo, with stops. Aebi had a passenger for a short stretch (80 nm).
Brian Caldwell  USA Honolulu, Hawai`i 1 June 1995 20 September 1996 477 &0000000000000020.00000020 years, &0000000000000278.000000278 days Solo, with stops. Westerly via Panama Canal.[17][18]
David Dicks  AUS Fremantle 26 February 1996 17 November 1996 265 &0000000000000018.00000018 years, &0000000000000042.00000042 days Solo, non-stop, with assistance.[19]
Jesse Martin  AUS Port Phillip Bay, Melbourne 8 December 1998 31 October 1999 327 &0000000000000018.00000018 years, &0000000000000066.00000066 days Solo, non-stop, and unassisted.[16]
Zac Sunderland  USA Marina del Rey, California 14 June 2008 16 July 2009 396 &0000000000000017.00000017 years, &0000000000000229.000000229 days Solo, with stops and assistance.[20] Westerly, via Papua New Guinea, Cape of Good Hope, Panama Canal.
Michael Perham  UK Portsmouth, UK 16 November 2008 27 August 2009 284 &0000000000000017.00000017 years, &0000000000000164.000000164 days Solo, with stops and assistance.[8] Easterly, via Panama Canal.
Jessica Watson  AUS Sydney 18 October 2009 ETA: mid-May 2010[21] 155* &0000000000000016.00000016 years, &0000000000000308.000000308 days* Under way to complete voyage solo, non-stop, and unassisted.[22]
Abby Sunderland  USA Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 6 February 2010 ETA: June/July 2010 44* &0000000000000016.00000016 years, &0000000000000154.000000154 days* Under way to complete voyage solo, non-stop, and unassisted. First departed from California, but had to stop for repairs in Cabo San Lucas and restarted circumnavigation from there.[23]
Laura Dekker  NED Lisbon, Portugal ETD: September 2010.[8][24] &0000000000000014.00000014 years, &0000000000000183.000000183 days* Planning to go solo with stops and assistance.

* as of 22 March 2010.


[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c "Young sailor starts world voyage". BBC News Online (BBC). 15 November 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/7730929.stm. Retrieved 17 November 2008. 
  2. ^ Official website biography. Retrieved 4 January 2007.
  3. ^ a b "Boy sails into the record books". BBC News. 3 January 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/beds/bucks/herts/6226775.stm. Retrieved 4 January 2007. 
  4. ^ a b Morris, Steven (4 January 2007). "14-year-old becomes youngest to sail Atlantic singlehanded". The Guardian. http://sport.guardian.co.uk/sailing/story/0,,1982510,00.html. Retrieved 4 January 2007. 
  5. ^ Glenday, Craig (2007). Guinness World Records 2008. Netherlands and Belgium: Kosmos Uitgevers. p. 75. ISBN 978-9021513812.  (Dutch edition)
  6. ^ "'Michael Perham sails into the record books'". http://www.herald24.co.uk/content/whtimes/news/pbnews/story.aspx?tbrand=HertsCambsOnline&tcategory=PBnewsWHT&brand=WHTOnline&category=News&itemid=WEED27+Aug+2009+11%3a25%3a37%3a407. Retrieved 27 August 2009. 
  7. ^ Brown, Cathy (30 July 2007). "Cheeky Monkey at Earls Court Show". TheMainSail.com. http://www.themainsail.com/news/article/mps/uan/1551. Retrieved 19 November 2008. 
  8. ^ a b c http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE57Q2V220090827
  9. ^ http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE57Q2V220090827
  10. ^ http://www.sail-japan.info/site/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=334
  11. ^ Mike Perham crosses finish line
  12. ^ Hero's welcome for young sailor (BBC news. Video auto-starts)
  13. ^ http://www.taliskerbountyboat.com/
  14. ^ WSSRC. "Other Kinds of Sailing Records". http://www.sailspeedrecords.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=87&Itemid=27. Retrieved 27 October 2009. 
  15. ^ http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20097653,00.html
  16. ^ a b Lionheart by Jesse Martin. [1]
  17. ^ "BJ and His Youngest Single-handed Record". holoholo.org: Marine & Ocean Sports News. From NorthWest Yachting Magazine January 1996. http://holoholo.org/caldwell/bj_96/nwyachtg.html. Retrieved 2010-01-29. 
  18. ^ http://holoholo.org/caldwell/bj_96/ww102695.html
  19. ^ "Youngest solo circumnavigators". www.worldsailingrecords.com. http://www.worldsailingrecords.com/?page_id=68. Retrieved 2010-01-29. 
  20. ^ "Zac Sunderland completes solo sail around the world". LA Times. July 17, 2009. http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jul/17/sports/sp-zac-sunderland17. 
  21. ^ http://www.jessicawatson.com.au/_webapp_453583/Five_Months_at_Sea_and_a_Chat_With_Queen_Mary_2
  22. ^ "Jessica Watson - Youngest to sail solo and unassisted around the world". http://www.jessicawatson.com.au. Retrieved 15 March 2010. 
  23. ^ "The official website of Abby Sunderland, and her quest to become the youngest solo circumnavigator". http://abbysunderland.com. Retrieved 15 March 2010. 
  24. ^ "Kids today, all they want to do is sail around the world -- alone". LA Times. August 21, 2009. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/outposts/2009/08/mike-perham-closing-in-on-becoming-youngest-to-sail-around-the-world-alone.html. 

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Perham"