The old man and the sea: 73-year-old to sailsolo around world in 'bathtub' boat

When faced with the most ferocious waves on the planet, most people would seek protection in the largest, sturdiest vessel they could find. But when Swedish pensionerSven Yrvind sets out on hisambitious mission to circumnavigate the globe, it won't be in a hefty ship piledhigh with food, creature comforts and telecommunications equiptment. Instead, the 73-year-old plans to traverse the high seas cocooned in a sailboat only slightly bigger than a bathtub. For many, the proposition ofsailing non-stop around the world for a year-and-a-halfin a vessel just three meters-long will sound rather ambitious, and comingfrom a man well past the retirement age, downright far-fetched. Indeed, few would likely takethe idea seriously were Yrvind not one of the world's most respected boat-builders. During his accomplished life he has given lectures to theSwedish king and queen andreceived awards from the prestigious Royal Cruising Club in Britain, among others. "People have said it's a suicide mission," said Yrvind. "But a big boat is actually more dangerous than a small one. You've gotbigger forces throwing you around -- a bigger engine, a bigger beam, a bigger deck. "My small boat is like a little capsule -- nothing can happen to you. It's like throwing a bottle in the water -- it will capsize, it will pitchpole (somersault), but it will always come back up," he added. Read: Are traditional sailboats the future of trade? If successful, Yrvind will make history for sailing the smallest boat around the world without docking on land. The record is currently heldby Italian Alessandro di Benedetto, who in 2010 circumnavigated the globe ina 6.5 meter yacht -- more than double the size of Yrvind's creation.culled from cnn