Mike’s on the crest of a wave (From Harrow Times)

Mike’s on the crest of a wave

11:49am Tuesday 4th October 2011 in Interviews By Melanie Dakin

Breaking records for sailing the Atlantic and round the world single-handed are just two of Hertfordshire teenager Mike Perham’s achievements so far. In 2007, at the age of 14 he became the youngest person to ever sail across the Atlantic.

On August 27, 2009 he became the youngest person to sail single-handed around the world – surfing 50ft waves at speeds of up to 28 knots; clocking up the fastest speeds for several stretches of the journey in his wake. Mike’s hair-raising film footage aired as part of a Channel 4 documentary later that year.

His book, Sailing The Dream, now out in paperback, is structured into sections covering each of the major seas Mike would face on his voyage. Each chapter is precise and thrilling in detail, recalling moments such as capsizing in formidable conditions in the Southern Ocean and the frustrations of autopilot failure. Mike also had to face taxing climbs up the mast to fix ripped sails and a sailor’s worst nightmare, diving off the boat.

Even in calmer seas he found himself dodging debris and shipping in the Panama Canal or hoping against hope for a wind to steer him off a collision course with a coral reef.

“You have to be in peak condition as sailing is an incredibly physical exercise,“ says Mike. “Making sail changes by yourself is gruelling. You’ve got to be mentally pretty tough too. "The stress the problems with the autopilot put me through were crazy in terms of lack of sleep.“

It wasn’t all gloom however, or Mike wouldn’t have spent 157 days at sea, totalling 29,835 nautical miles to win his record. Thankfully, there were often breathtaking sunsets, moonbows, dolphins and whales to keep him company.

You have to be in peak condition and you’ve got to be mentally pretty tough too

Mike Perham

Mike began his love affair with boats aged only seven, when his father Peter took him out to learn to sail on Stanborough Lake in Welwyn. He was educated at Pope Paul RC Primary School and Chancellor’s School in Brookmans Park, and went on to study at Oakland’s Sports Academy in St Albans, where he took a National Diploma in sport.

“It’s an elite sports academy and they were so flexible that I was able to use my sailing as a case study. The course was extremely useful, I learned a lot about general fitness, which is so important for sailing around the world. The college is highly supportive of young people’s sporting dreams.“

Now, aged 19, Mike is heading off to Australia to spend three months in training for the prestigious Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Mike will join nine other young adventurers to prepare for the December event. It will be a chance for Mike to re-acquaint himself with the challenging conditions of the Tasman Sea.

“I am out in Australia for three months full-time training and we will be sailing almost every day. How often I sail varies with what events are happening. I’ve just been through a spell of five weeks competing at events, sailing non-stop with only two days off the water.“

Mike has other dreams in the pipeline, after completing his first year at Southampton Solent University studying television production, he’s taking a break to get another idea off the ground – to fly non-stop across the world.

“What attracted me most was I knew absolutely nothing about flying, so there’d be a new set of challenges to learn. There are similarities between sailing and flying, 2D to 3D navigation as I call it. Weather is even more important but I can carry my skills across. What’s different is there are so many rules and regulations when you fly. You have to be spot on and do all your homework.“

Mike has been taking flying lessons at Elstree Aerodrome.

“I’ve done 25 hours with Cab Air but there are 200 still to go, so I’m sending off lots of sponsorship proposals. I was originally planning to set off next year but now it’s looking more like 2013.

“Sailing is definitely my first love and always will be but flying is so different because I’ve not explored it before and I have a deep desire to learn.“

Details: www.challengemike.com