Polar sailor abandons record bid

Barrabas suffered damage to her mast and engine during the voyage

A sailor hoping to become the first person to travel solo around the world via the polar regions has abandoned his record attempt.

Adrian Flanagan, 45, from near Bicester in Oxon, set off in October and has so far sailed 25,000 miles (40,234km).

He reached Nome in Alaska last month, but only received permission to cross the Russian Arctic on Thursday.

Mr Flanagan is postponing the last leg of the 35,000-mile (56,315km) trip because the route is now freezing over.

The father-of-two said he plans to store his yacht Barrabas in Nome until he returns next year to complete the circumnavigation.

He said: "My intention is to return in June 2007, in good time to make preparations.

"Sometimes it is harder to make the decision not to press on. I have to be pragmatic. There is little merit in taking unnecessary risks."

Mr Flanagan has spent 10 months sailing southwards from the UK, across the North and South Atlantic towards the Falkland Islands, westwards around Cape Horn and northwards through the Pacific before reaching Nome.

While crossing the Bering Sea he had to endure "a murderous storm" in which his yacht suffered a broken propeller shaft, which had to be repaired in Alaska.