He's already battled fierce storms, monstrous sea swells and weeks of loneliness.

But now, after nine months at home, Bicester yachtsman Adrian Flanagan, above, is getting ready for the second stage of his stalled round-the-world voyage.

And he faces one of his toughest challenges so far - the Arctic ice.

The 46-year-old father-of-two, who flies out to Alaska on Monday, hopes to become the first person to sail solo around the world via the polar regions.

Mr Flanagan was forced to halt his voyage last September after 26,000 miles, due to engine problems and Russian red tape.

But the months of home comforts have only increased his determination to complete the remaining 4,800 miles of his trip.

He said: "I haven't been able to relax because it's not done - I would much rather have done it in one go.

"I have had physical rest but the mental side of it has been quite difficult.

"You're lying in a comfortable bed - you're warm, you're dry, you're fed - it's very easy to get defeated.

"Being back for nine months has made it quite a lot harder rather than easier."

And although Mr Flanagan, of Ludgershall near Bicester, has just a few months of his journey left, they are likely to be some of the hardest.

He said: "Ice floes are the biggest danger. They can weigh millions of tonnes so a 40ft boat getting hit by one of those things will crush it like a coke can."

After three weeks in Alaska getting his 40ft yacht Barrabus ready, Mr Flanagan hopes it will become the first British boat to sail through the Northern Sea Route off the Russian coast.

Mr Flanagan is raising money for Oxford Children's Hospital and Save the Children and hopes to arrive back in Southampton in early September.

To donate, or find out more, see his new website at: www.alphaglobalex.com