ONE of Kent’s most prominent businessmen is about to realise a long-term ambition by sailing across the Atlantic – at the age of 71.

Edwin Boorman, president of the Kent Messenger Group, is taking part in the World Cruising Club’s Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC).

With five friends as crew, he has already sailed from Gibraltar in his 40ft ketch to Gran Canaria for the start of what has become the largest transocean sailing event in the world.

Organisers anticipate it will take between 12 and 24 days for the 300 competitors to compete the 2,700 nautical miles to the finish – the Caribbean island of St Lucia.

Mr Boorman, chairman of the KM Group for 19 years and grandson of the founder of the media group, expects it will take his 32-year-old vessel – aptly named Messenger – the best part of four weeks.

He said: “It isn’t the hurricane season and, all being well, the greatest danger will be from sunstroke, especially if you are becalmed.

“But it can also be a hostile ocean and I imagine many would consider it stupid for a man of my age to take the risk, even a calculated one.”

Until now, his longest voyage in Messenger has been about 1,000 miles.

Mr Boorman, a deputy lieutenant of Kent and a former High Sheriff of the county, has spent weeks preparing with his crew – John Taylor, from Staplehurst; Robert Filmer, from Cliffe; Ray Ingram, from Sutton Valence; Julian Croysdill, from Sandhurst and Paddy Armstrong, from Leeds.

The rally sets off from Las Palmas in Gran Canaria on Sunday (November 26 ). Mr Boorman’s wife, Jan, and son Henry will fly out to meet Messenger.

Mr Boorman, who has been sailing since he was boy, wanted to sail round the world after Francis Chichester’s single-handed achievement aboard Gipsy Moth IV in 1967.

When the Atlantic rally was launched Mr Boorman decided that one day he would take part. That was 21 years ago.

“My business activities and my family life meant it was an impossibility,” he said.

“When I stepped down as chairman of the KM, my wife said to me 'you’ve always wanted to do the rally – now you can’.

“And, let’s face it, if I don’t do it soon I may not be able to do it at all.”