Sailing the Dream

by Perham, Mike

• ISBN13: 9781584659792
• ISBN10: 1584659793
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-03-08
• Publisher: Univ Pr of New England

Summary

Three thousand people have climbed Everest; four hundred and fifty have traveled into space. Only two hundred fifty have sailed round the world alone. The youngest of these was a teenager. When he set out on his attempt, Mike Perham was just sixteen years old. At first, his mother was against the whole thing. The experts said it could be suicidal. The head of Britain's venerable Royal Yachting Association told him not to go. Mike Perham persevered, and in August 2009, at the age of just 17 years, 5 months, and 11 days, became the youngest person to have sailed solo around the world. Sailing the Dream tells the story of that amazing voyage, a nine-month odyssey full of technical and navigational challenges that would stump sailors twice Mike's age. His yacht was knocked over, battered by waves, and repeatedly damaged, but Mike battled on, at times surfing down 50-foot waves in 50-knot winds at speeds of up to 28 knots. Despite these conditions, and suffering from sleep deprivation and extreme physical exhaustion, Mike maintained a positive attitude. His cheerful resilience continually shines through as he describes his adventures and also talks about the team behind his trips, both when sailing round the world and in his earlier journey across the Atlantic at the age of fourteen, and the stresses and sacrifices involved for his family and friends. Mike's achievement is placed in even sharper relief by another young sailor's more recent, failed attempt at solo circumnavigation that nearly ended in tragedy. Sailing the Dream is an inspirational as well as thrilling story, and one for all ages.

Author Biography

Mike Perham is a young sailor whose adventures have raised money for Save the Children and the Tall Ships Youth Trust. In addition to his record-breaking solo circumnavigation, he also holds the Guinness World Record as the youngest person to sail across the Atlantic Ocean solo, a feat he accomplished at the age of fourteen. His current quest is to become the first person to both sail and fly around the world solo. He lives with his family in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, England.

Table of Contents

Map	p. x
Prologue	p. 1
Making Waves
Meet the Perhams	p. 7
The Idea	p. 10
Ocean's 14	p. 12
Money Troubles	p. 16
The Race to the Start Line	p. 19
Dry Land Disaster	p. 21
An Emotional Departure	p. 24
Storm Horizons	p. 27
Survival	p. 30
Cheeky Monkey Vanishes	p. 33
A Flying Visit	p. 36
Endurance Test	p. 39
Swimming with Sharks	p. 43
Jack-of-All-Trades	p. 46
Record Breaker	p. 49
Fame!	p. 53
The Dream Becomes Reality	p. 58
Doubt	p. 64
Full Steam Ahead	p. 67
Leaving	p. 71
The Atlantic
Sailing the Dream	p. 75
Mikeworld	p. 79
Bad with the Good	p. 86
Las Palmas-Coming and Going	p. 90
Happy New Year-Not	p. 98
The Doldrums	p. 103
The Equator	p. 108
The Autopilot Strikes Back	p. 115
Life, the Universe and Chocolate	p. 123
The Need for Speed	p. 127
What Were the Odds?	p. 133
The Southern Ocean
Into the South	p. 143
Ding-Dong Time!	p. 151
Knockdown!	p. 162
The Tough Get Going	p. 167
There and Back Again	p. 174
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!	p. 184
The Pacific
Pacific Storm	p. 195
An Unexpected Swim	p. 203
That's Torn It	p. 212
The Panamanian Way	p. 216
Going Yo-Yo	p. 224
A Dream Surf	p. 233
The Atlantic
Collision Course	p. 241
Mercury Rising	p. 245
Homeward Bound	p. 253
Trouble at the Top	p. 259
One Last Ding-Dong	p. 266
The Finish Line	p. 271
Epilogue	p. 276
Afterword	p. 279
Acknowledgements	p. 285
Photo Acknowledgements	p. 289
Index	p. 291
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