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Young sailor aged 16 starts record attempt world voyage

news.bbc.co.uk — A teenage student attempting to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world has admitted he is "a little crazy" to do it at his age. Michael Perham, 16, from Potters Bar in Hertfordshire is the youngest person to have sailed across the Atlantic alone.

Who dugg this? Made popular Nov 16, 2008

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  • brandita, on 11/16/2008, -2/+30Watch out for pirates.
  • deadapostle, on 11/16/2008, -4/+25My favorite line was from his mother, "He's just such an inspiration for other young people."

    Yes. He will inspire kids across the world to beg their parents for a half-million dollar yacht.
  • jgopp, on 11/15/2008, -9/+23I hope he makes it, but it is so freaking dangerous to do this. The possibility of hitting a huge storm or getting thrown overboard with no one in the boat to come back for you makes this a ridiculously stupid move. I want to sail around the world but doing it alone is ignorant if you think nothing bad is going to happen to you.
  • RadiatedAnt, on 11/16/2008, -3/+16hope he has enough caviar to last him the 4 months while he's calling satellite porn
  • pyabo, on 11/16/2008, -0/+10Robin Lee Graham did this at age 16 in 1965, in a 21 foot sailboat. Well before the advent of GPS or satellite uplinks in the case of emergencies.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Lee_Graham
  • sockpuppets, on 11/16/2008, -13/+23…………….._,,-~’’’¯¯¯’’~-,,…………………………………………
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  • siobhankeogh, on 11/16/2008, -2/+11Thanks for letting me know he was young, I wouldn't have deduced that from the "aged 16" part.
  • BrandonCrispy, on 11/16/2008, -1/+8"His adventure does not get him out of school work either.

    He is taking assignments with him as part of his BTEC National Diploma in Sport (Performance and Excellence) at Oaklands College in St Albans, Hertfordshire."

    READ BETTER DAWG
  • awesometastic1, on 11/16/2008, -0/+7The thing i don't understand is about 20 or 30 years ago a 16 year old sailed around the world by himself on his sail boat. It was written up in the Readers Digest back in the day and about 10 years ago i read an update from them on one of those "where are they now" type of things. So, why didn't that kids journey count? I know he stopped at a couple ports along the way to pick up supplies and stuff, which may be why it doesn't count, but seriously this article doesn't even mention that kid. Poor journalism.
  • DeusNova, on 11/16/2008, -2/+9I wish my parents bought me a yacht for my sixteenth birthday! =( But seriously, good luck to him!
  • NomadRip, on 11/16/2008, -1/+8I wonder if he's younger than Zac Sunderland, who is more than halfway around the world in his boat, and is 16. http://www.zacsunderland.com/blog/
  • TetchyTony, on 11/16/2008, -1/+8Spoiled rich kid - and he has the gall to say he's doing it for 'charity'. So he's suckered 'sponsors' too? Hope his family have bought insurance for every single expense every public authority will incur for tracking, safety, and possible rescue.
  • Royish, on 11/16/2008, -0/+6They are buying him yachts and linking up with him via satellite.
  • adith, on 11/16/2008, -1/+6Yours is a better use of the pun. Dugg.
  • sockpuppets, on 11/16/2008, -1/+6I have met my doppelganger. You complete me.
  • inactive, on 11/16/2008, -1/+6Epic double posting of almost same comment and body-less Pedobear
  • inactive, on 11/16/2008, -1/+6While he was gone all his friends were home...getting laid.
  • StolenLamp, on 11/16/2008, -1/+6That's probably be really fun.
  • dafragsta, on 11/16/2008, -0/+5You dumb bastard! It's not a schooner, it's a sailboat!
  • OGTL, on 11/16/2008, -0/+4RTFA. The proceeds from the trip will be donated to charity.
  • PapaBier, on 11/16/2008, -2/+6Zac Sunderland, a 16-year-old American began his voyage June 14th.

    http://www.zacsunderland.com
  • inactive, on 11/16/2008, -1/+5Oh god...I AM LIQUID SNAKE?
  • asgardshill, on 11/16/2008, -3/+7For the negative nancys here calling the kid an idiot, you can't seriously believe that his vessel WON'T have every safety device and gimcrack that can be shoehorned into a hull that small, can you? With GPS, EPIRB and satellite technology, he's arguably safer attempting a solo circumnavigation of the world than he would be walking around in any large US city.

    Yes, what he is doing is not risk-free. The sea is a harsh taskmaster. But he's soloed the Atlantic Ocean already, which stands him in good stead and gives him the experience he needs to complete the feat.

    In spite of the tone of some of the posts here, its nice to see that the spirit of adventure hasn't been bred completely out of the human race yet. Bravo, young man - you go for it and make a few of these nitwits eat their words.
  • ufoninja, on 11/16/2008, -3/+7the australian navy will be rescuing this little rich kid in the pacific ocean soon enough.
  • HenvY, on 11/16/2008, -3/+7Um, *****. Many people have solo circumnavigated the world.
  • fxu1989, on 11/16/2008, -1/+5Good luck to him.

    I'll be praying to Poseidon.
  • sockpuppets, on 11/16/2008, -1/+5That was the joke already, Dr buzzkill.
  • Tenlow, on 11/16/2008, -0/+3Yeah, it's actually far more common than you might think.
  • arkboysooner, on 11/16/2008, -1/+4Why do you feel the need to um at the start of your reply?
  • immatellyouwhat, on 11/16/2008, -1/+3He's from the Shire and about to go on an adventure....hmmmmmmmmmm
  • Teuobk, on 11/16/2008, -0/+2This guy (Michael) is about four months younger than Zac.
  • Duffle, on 11/16/2008, -0/+2Open 50 as said in the article.
  • AModernBird, on 11/16/2008, -1/+3What kind of boat is he on? I know it's a sailboat, but which class? Jus' wonderin'.
  • MattyLite, on 11/16/2008, -1/+3That's pretty awesome. I wish I had an adventure.
  • elf25, on 11/16/2008, -0/+2HEY! That's what I was gonna say... I'll add that his father made a self steering mechanism that kept the boat on course. They were REALLY leading edge and risking. Read the book. It's pretty darn good.

    Still, I wish the boy luck and good sailing, it's certainly an adventure of a lifetime.
  • StolenLamp, on 11/16/2008, -0/+2Wow, sorry that was a ***** sentence...

    *That would probably be fun.*
  • dafragsta, on 11/16/2008, -1/+3It's a *****' solo. It's not a *****' two-person-o.

    Get of the stage Kage, you conceited *****' prick! You had them and then you lost them with the spanish guitar thing!

    /loves the D too much.
  • redxii, on 11/16/2008, -0/+2and ninja pirates....
  • Eagle193, on 11/16/2008, -2/+3and ninjas....
  • inactive, on 11/16/2008, -0/+1salt and electrons mix all to well . this vid killed my camera
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVX1SXq_Etc
  • inactive, on 11/16/2008, -1/+2I think as cute as he is, butt pirates specifically could be quite a problem for him.
  • inactive, on 11/16/2008, -1/+2There are gay pirates?
  • sablowsky, on 11/16/2008, -1/+2Teenage Desmond?
  • immatellyouwhat, on 11/16/2008, -0/+1You know you had 5 minutes to fix your comment, instead you tripped me out by saying " as as adventurous "
    but dugg you anyway for wishing
  • AModernBird, on 11/16/2008, -0/+1Got it. Thanks.
  • bbagi, on 11/17/2008, -0/+1http://www.bluemoment.com/dove.html
  • trioman, on 11/15/2008, -4/+4Amazing what people will be willing to do...I wish I as as adventurous
  • YouAreDead, on 11/16/2008, -2/+2he's not little crazy
    he's completely crazy
  • elliotys, on 11/16/2008, -1/+1AAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
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