Three solo sailors met in Cape Town earlier this week as they all head in different directions. Teenagers Mike Perham and Zac Sunderland, who are rivals in their bids to become the youngest to sail alone round the world, found themselves in the same port by coincidence and had lunch yesterday.

Also in Cape Town is Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty, who retired here in his IMOCA 60 Maisonneuve after autopilot and halyard problems in the Vendée Globe. Dejeanty is making repairs before returning to France.

Mike Perham, 16, is from Hertfordshire in the UK, and is five months younger than Californian Zac Sunderland. The two are sailing very different boats. Sunderland is sailing a 36ft cruising boat, while Perham is sailing a powerful Open 50 (pictured above).

After meeting Zac Sunderland and his father, Mike Perham writes in his blog: ‘We have so much in common, they’re such down-to-earth people and we shared several funny stories. I showed Zac around Totallymoney.com and I hope to have a look around Intrepid, Zac’s boat later this week.

‘We also met up with Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty.. Jean-Baptiste has been really kind; he even gave me some of his food, as this trip is taking a little longer than expected. I was in awe when I took a look around his fantastically powerful boat. Afterwards we went out for a couple of drinks and some dinner, had a long chat and a few laughs.’

Read more about Mike Perham on Elaine Bunting’s blog