British pensioner, 73, circumnavigates the Arctic Circle

A British pensioner has become the first person to -circumnavigate the Arctic Circle by boat clockwise... even though he only took up sailing when he retired.

Jeffrey Allison, 73, set off from Hartlepool in June, -sailing to Iceland, Greenland, around Alaska, Russia and Scandinavia in his 52ft craft.

He made the voyage with Australian crewmate -Katherine -Brownlie, 28, and is now on his way home to -Middleton Tyas, North Yorks.

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The voyage was made -possible by receding ice in the Arctic Circle, thought to be due to climate change.

Mr Allison is the first Brit to make the journey in either direction. He has made -several -attempts, and was almost sunk by -Russian coastguards in 2009 for

sailing over the Barents Sea without permission.

Daughter Fiona Cook said: “He just said he’d deal with it if he got in trouble again. The whole family is so proud.”