A VETERAN adventurer from Swindon has set sail on his solo voyage across the Atlantic.

Sir David Hempleman-Adams will face extreme isolation, unpredictable weather and the perils of the high seas during a 35-day journey which he considers to be his greatest-ever challenge. The 62-year-old set off from Plymouth Harbour on Sunday to follow in the footsteps of his hero Sir Francis Chichester.

Sir David said: "As a boy, I was inspired by Sir Francis Chichester's solo circumnavigation of the globe; he was the first man to take on that adventure and I vividly remember watching TV coverage of him sailing home into Plymouth Sound after 226 days.

"He was a legendary solo yachtsman who had already crossed the Atlantic on his own twice, and he celebrated his 65th birthday at sea. I'm a few years younger than that and my voyage should take just over a month, so time is on my side, but I have never done anything like this before."

Sir David is using his epic voyage to raise awareness of St John Ambulance, a volunteer-led charity of which he has been an advocate for over 25 years and a trustee since 2012.

The charity's chief executive Martin Houghton-Brown said: "We are one of the few charities where younger and older people volunteer alongside each other with equal skills. I believe that Sir David's courageous expedition will inspire many across the generations to seek a new adventure for themselves."

"We are fortunate to have Sir David as an ambassador for our charity and his passion for St John is shared by our incredible volunteers, many of whom came to us on their own journeys of self-discovery."

Follow Sir David's progress by visiting www.sja.org.uk/discovery and join the conversation on social media with the hashtag #DiscoverSJA