INTREPID sailor Adrian Flanagan sets off tomorrow in his bid to be the first person to single-handedly circumnavigate the globe via the polar regions.

His lifetime ambition, which began nearly two years ago at Hamble, had been sunk by Russian red tape.

But now it is back on course. For the Russian government has now given the go ahead for the 46 year-old father of two to complete the final leg of a voyage which came to abrupt halt in September 2006.

Having successfully battled deadly storms, man eating sharks and giant waves it was Russian red tape that forced Adrian to abandon his quest until this summer.

Meanwhile his 40 ft stainless sloop Barrabas has spent the Arctic winter in Alaska.

Tomorrow (Sunday) he will set sail again on the Alpha Global Expedition which had started in Hamble on October 28, 2005 and covered 26,000 miles going west around Cape Horn to Nome, Alaska.

If the mission is completed Barrabas will become the first British flagged yacht to sail Russia's artic coast and Adrian the frist sailor to achieve this feat single handed.

The distance from Nome to the United Kingdom is 4,800 miles - the first 2,000 miles of which will be through ice strewn waters.

The navigable window in the hugh Arctic is very short and if Adrian clears the ice fields he should be mooring up at The Royal Southern Yacht Club in Hamble in early September.

Speaking from Alaska Adrian said: "I have set a departure date for Sunday July 15 which is the deadline I set back in September last year when forward planning the Arctic phase.

"Barrabas will be carrying 6,000 lbs of fuel and water. She will be low in the water and relatively less stable."

Realising that he will not be sitting down to a home cooked meal for a while Adrian has been building up his strength by tucking into steak, pasta, salads, puddings and beer.

In preparing Barrabas for the final leg of the epic voyage Adrian said he had "one heart in the mouth" moment when the engine would not start.

When he turned the key and nothing happened Adrian feared that nine months in the Arctic freezer had precipitated some impossible to find problem.

But he said: "I tried again and the engine purred into life. Actually cranked and rattled to life would be more accurate but it was a purr to me."