Britain's Michael Perham smiles for photographers with his father Peter after arriving at Nelson's Dockyard in Antigua yesterday. Perham, 14, sailed into the record books yesterday as the youngest person to make a solo voyage across the Atlantic. - Reuters

LONDON (Reuters):

A 14-year-old British boy sailed into the record books yesterday as the youngest person to make a solo voyage across the Atlantic.

Michael Perham, who skipped school to make the trip, cruised into Nelson's Dockyard in Antigua at 10 a.m. (1400 GMT) to be met by steel bands, after an arduous six weeks crossing 3,500 miles of open water from Gibraltar, followed by his father.

"It feels absolutely fantastic being back on dry land. Absolutely brilliant," Michael told BBC television as he stood on the dockside with his father and surrounded by well-wishers.

"The worst bit was being away from my family and people generally. It was really a fantastic trip. I enjoyed almost every minute of it," he added. "I am looking forward to a nice warm bed."

Proud mother

Mother Heather, at the family home north of London, said she was proud but also relieved the pair had completed the trip.

"It is just an amazing feeling to know they are both safe," she said.

The previous holder of the record was Seb Clover who was 15 when he completed the shorter solo voyage to Antigua from Tenerife in January 2003 after three weeks at sea, also tailed by his father.

Michael, who started sailing when he was seven, already had several thousand miles under his belt before he began the latest - and to date longest - voyage.

In a modified 28-foot yacht named Cheeky Monkey, Michael had hoped to complete the trip following the trade winds in about four weeks, but had to divert to Lanzarote and the Cape Verde islands when his navigation equipment failed.