Mike Perham who spent the last month and a half at sea has this afternoon broken the record as the youngest solo sailor to have crossed the Atlantic.

The 14-year-old British sailor sailed into English Harbour this afternoon to a hero’s welcome alongside his father Peter who accompanied him across the Atlantic in an identical 28ft trailer sailer – a Tide 28. The previous record holder was 15-year-old fellow British sailor Seb Clover who set the record in January 2003, also accompanied by his father.

Perham and his father set sail from Gibraltar on 18 November but had to make a pit stop in the Cape Verde Island to replace Peter’s broken Sat phone and repair Mike’s self steering gear which failed on the approach to the island. Up and running again a few days later, the pair had a relatively good crossing and despite further problems on Peter’s yacht including a broken rudder and shredded cap shroud, they achieved exactly what they’d set out to do.

The Perhams are currently in the Copper & Lumber Store in Antigua’s English Harbour catching up with relatives and friends and most importantly enjoying their first ‘proper’ meal for a long time.

More news when we have it.