Solo teen Mike Perham,stuck in Panama, congratulates 'Youngest around'

by Lisa Mylchreest on 22 Jul 2009 Mike Perham, that British teenager who is a little younger than Zac Sunderland, but, like Zac, circumnavigating the world solo, is stuck in Panama waiting for a transit slot.

The Panama Canal Authority, which earlier this year destroyed the Panama Yacht Club at 3.00am one morning without warning, is heedless of the dilemma of a yacht that wishes to cross the Atlantic before the hurricane season, or even to get home to secure his record as the youngest ever to circumnavigate the world.

It is his new-found friend Zac (they met in Capetown) who has just claimed that title, and from whom he will almost certainly wrest it when he reaches England. He is a generous 108 days younger than Zac, who claimed the title last week. As it is probably a 19 day transit from Panama to London, he has plenty of leeway for hold-ups.

In his generous way, Mike this week congratulated Zac on his achievement, and put to bed the notion that any enmity (gleefully expressed by some of the world's media outlets) exists between the two boys. Here's what he says on his blog, describing the difference, as he sees it, between the two impressive voyages:

'I really do offer my heartfelt congratulations. Very few people can even begin to realise how much Zac and his family have put into his project. I met up with Zac in Cape Town, South Africa and it was really great to spend some time with him and his father and compare loads of different things about our trips, from financial concerns, to great funny stories from our trips around the world. They were really down to earth people, and always had a smile on their faces.

'Both our trips have been very different, I originally wanted to attempt to sail around the world non stop, whereas Zac was always going to stop in many different places and really see the world. Due to equipment failures, I've had to stop in Portugal, The Canary Islands, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and now Panama - all places I never envisaged visiting - but these stops have really made the trip even more special (after all Zac and I got to meet in South Africa!).

'Our routes have been very different too, I always wanted to see the raw power and fierceness of the Southern Ocean, the most dangerous stretch of sea there is. I also wanted to surf along at break neck speed and really feel the boat come alive hitting average speeds of over 15knots at times and surfing well into the 20's, whilst being deep into the southern ocean down at times to almost 50degrees south and literally days away from rescue. I'm really pleased that I've experienced both of these and I loved it down there!

'Zac took a different route, and sailed through the tropics which although has much better weather conditions and is much more of a cruising route, and those who've been following his blog will know that this presents a whole different set of challenges...

'I set off on this trip knowing that sailing round the world would be really hard, but it was still much, much difficult than I could ever have imagined. So a big thumbs up from me and my family to Zac and his family. They seriously deserve it!

'I always knew that some people would try to pit us against each other and it bugs me when that happens. Was it Zac vs Mike? No. I tell you what it is. It's two teenagers going out there, living their dream and having the adventure of a lifetime!

'Once again, well done Zac!'