Fourteen-year-old Katie Mccabe from Topsham reflected on her amazing exploits at sea this week after she achieved her dream of being the youngest person to sail around Britain.

A 20-strong flotilla of boats - including the Exmouth Lifeboat - and a large crowd greeted the teenager as she arrived back home on Saturday (August 22).

Following close behind her on the 1,600 nautical mile anticlockwise voyage was her boat builder father David who needed to be within a five-mile range of his daughter for insurance reasons.

Katie, who goes to Isca School in Exeter, was at the helm of her 26-foot wooden boat, Falanda, for between eight and 15 hours a day but one gruelling stint took her more than 32 hours.
She said: “I’d like to thank all the boaters and non-boaters who welcomed me home from Topsham Quay, and as I came in at W Trout & Son Marina.

“I had been hoping to sneak into the Exe quietly, without anyone really noticing, so to have so many people out to see me was amazing, but crazy and a bit overwhelming!

“It was also great to have the lifeboat escorting me up the river, and the crew even waited patiently as Falanda drifted along slowly when the wind died!”

Katie beat the original record set by 15-year-old Timothy Long from Aylesbury

in Buckinghamshire in October 2020 and, incredibly, he was on the quayside to welcome her home.


She said: “I think it was great of him to even be able to look at me and Falanda, nevermind be actually friendly. I'd like to think I'd be that nice if someone younger went round next year!

“I had wanted to sail around Britain, but to become the youngest person to ever do so is a fantastic extra.

“Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me, to all of the marinas who have given me free berthing and, most of all, to my dad, who literally followed me around Britain, to satisfy the insurance company.”

Dozens of people left messages of support on Katie’s facebook page.

Janet Torode, from Australia, wrote: “Be proud young lady, not just for the sailing achievement which is brilliant but the maturity you have shown and the inspiration you are to others.”

Katie said: “For the last seven and half weeks, I have quite literally been living the dream, just me, and Falanda (with dad a small spot in the distance behind!).

“We have been through the solent, across the Thames, across the Firth oOf Forth, through the Caledonian Canal, and back down through the Irish Sea to Wales.

“After that we sailed through Ramsey Sound, to Milford Haven, across the Bristol Channel, around Land’s End, The Lizard, and back to Topsham.

“Falanda has taken good care of me, and I hope I have shown as much appreciation towards her. She is a beautiful, seaworthy vessel, and the hardest part of this trip was walking away down the pontoon.”

Katie’s original goal was to sail across the Atlantic but her parents were against the idea.


You can revisit her epic voyage which began from Topsham on June 30 on facebook by visiting https://www.facebook.com/falanda.sailing/.


Katie began her boating career before she was born. Her parents flew back to Britain for her birth during a four-year honeymoon, returning to their boat in the Caribbean a fortnight later.


Katie has so far raised an incredible £15,625 for two ocean pollution charities on the back of her challenge.


The Journal caught up with Katie back at home and asked what plans she had now she was back.


“I’m going to cross the English Channel with my mum for a bit of fun,” she said.


“But sadly we won’t be able to go to France because of Covid, so we will moor a few miles off and then go back!”


Katie’s Just Giving page which can be found at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/falanda-roundbritain