A STUDENT from Willersey is preparing for a journey of a lifetime - a transatlantic voyage from Antigua to Azores on an 18-sail tall ship.

Luke Mills, aged 18, will fly out to the Caribbean on May 7 and set sail on a non-stop 26-day voyage across the water to the Azores islands in the Mid-Atlantic.

His only experience of life on the water are the few trips he has taken on his uncle's racing boat so he's excited about going on board the square rigger tall ship, the SS Stavros S Niarchos.

The only preparations he can make are learning the ropes and fitness training.

It will only be a month before he sets sail that he will hear about what equipment he needs.

Luke has been trying to raise the £1,400 he needs to pay for the voyage and flights - he received sponsorship for a third of the cost but still has about £700 to find.

The training voyage is being run by the Sail Training Association, a charity dedicated to the personal development of young people through such projects.

Luke heard about the organisation through a friend and decided it would be a beneficial activity to get involved in during his gap year.

He finished his A-levels at Cheltenham College last year and will start his degree in accounting and economics at Reading University in September.

"I don't think many people would be able to say they had sailed across the Atlantic during their gap year," he said.

Luke has been to Mustique with friends before but this will be his first visit to Antigua and the Azores, which is part of Portugal. Whether he continues to sail in the future will depend very much on the success of this trip and how he feels when he reaches dry land at the Azores after nearly a month at sea. Luke still needs to raise £700 for his sea adventure. Anyone who can help with funding for his voyage should contact him on 01386 858005.