A teenager will become the youngest person to sail solo around the world when his yacht returns to British waters this week, nine months after he set out.

Mike Perham, who is 17, tackled 50ft waves, broken rudders and gale-force winds during his 30,000-mile voyage, and will tonight have to endure the remnants of Hurricane Bill before he makes it safely back to land.

Speaking to The Times from rough seas 300 miles (480km) out in the Atlantic, he said: “I’m very much looking forward to being back. It’s all getting very exciting now. I’m really looking forward to being in my own room and having a fridge in the house and little luxuries like home cooking and having friends around.

“There have been a couple of times when I was thinking, ‘Crikey, what am I doing here?’. I’ve had lots of knocks and bruises and bumps, but nothing serious, thankfully. It all soon turns to a sense of wonder and realising why you are doing it.”

A local FOX affiliate reported that Taylor spoke with FOX 5 photojournalist Mike Horan about his wife's payback plan. "I thought she was kidding, ...