最年轻的航海家环球结束回家

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Mike Perham was only 16 years old when he set off on a quest to become the youngest sailor to circumnavigate the globe. Starting at Lizard point off the English coast, he sailed around the southern tip of Africa, crossed the south seas of the Pacific, came through the Panama Canal, and even met up with Hurricane Bill last week in the Atlantic. Nine months and 30,000 miles later, Mike is now 17, and has made it back to England and the record-breaking sailor is now docked in Portsmouth. Mike, congratulations!

"Thank you! Thank you very much!"

You've spent the past nine months at sea, I gotta ask how it feels to finally be docked this morning on terra firma, and how do you plan to celebrate.

"It feels absolutely incredible, I mean, when I came in here, the crowds were lining the dock completely, I was just overwhelmed really, it does feel really great to be back on solid ground. I am looking forward to a bed which doesn't move during the night."

It will probably feel strange to you. I mean, sailing around the world is a feat in and out of your cell, but you were 17, or 16 and turned 17, you were all alone, what were some of the biggest challenges you've faced as you were navigating the seas?

"The biggest ongoing challenge is that you are completely alone. There was no one to help you, there would been hundreds of tons during this trip alone, just for handle a sail. Let's say, you know, every job you have to do, and then you have to fix sleeping and eating into that as well."

Yeah, how do you sleep? Cause I understand you have some problem with your autopilot, so tell me how you slept during these nine months.

"I sleep in first 40 minutes, and I only got about four hours a night on average, because I kept very busy sailing the boat, so it's actually quite startling just how busy you kept, because it is quite handful."

Yeah, I mean you ran into your fair share rough seas on your blog that you kept in your jouney, here is what you wrote, you describe surfing down 50-foot-waves at breakneck speeds. What was it like facing those conditions alone? Did you ever think at a certain point: you know what, I am not gonna make it, this isn't gonna work?

"No, I was always bet set on the finish, but there was certain sometimes wherefore I'm cranky: 'what am I doing here?' That's... Some of the best moments were the exhilarating moments, surfing down massive waves and big storms, you know, it's wet, it's cold, it's windy, but it's absolutely brilliant."

So you've accomplished this at 17, what's next for you? Besides probably sleeping for the next nine months, do you just go back to be a regular teenager or do you have your sights set on something else?

"I am looking forward to going back into college, cause I got a year left, but at the same time, I'm looking for bigger, you know, bigger challenges, and there, there's definitely gonna be something next, that's for sure."

Does it involve sailing? I know, you've been sailing since you were seven.

"It will probably involve sailing, that's I'm sure."

All right, Mike Perham, congratulations once again, glad you are back, safe and sound, thank you for joining us.

"Thank you!"

Note:

terra firma: 陆地