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.
