A 16-year-old British boy has set out on an attempt to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world.

Michael Perham left Portsmouth on his Open 50 Racing Yacht on Saturday and was expected to be alone at sea for more than four months. His only contact with his family is to be through satellite link-ups.

Perham says he plans to sleep in short breaks while the boat is controlled by an electronic auto-pilot.

By late December he should be in the South Atlantic off the coast of South Africa. He is expected to be back in Portsmouth sometime near his 17th birthday on March 16th.

The world solo youth record was set by 18-year-old Australian Jesse Martin in Melbourne in 1999.