A HAMPSHIRE sailor is just days from finishing an historic 22,500-mile round-the-world voyage.

Nick Houchin and the crew of Oman Sail’s 75ft trimaran, Musandam, are crossing the Equator in the Doldrums as they make their way to Muscat.

On the 68th day of their adventure, the crew is 1,700 miles ahead of the virtual 80-day pace boat and about 1,500 miles from the finish line.

After a fairly stationary week in one of the hottest areas of ocean in the world, winds finally began to fill their sails yesterday. The crew is now expecting stronger trade winds to kick over the next few days as they move north.

Just 18 months after graduating from Solent University, Nick was signed up as one of five crew for the voyage.

The challenge is one of the major projects launched by Oman Sail, a multi-million pound scheme to promote sailing and boost the Emirate’s maritime history.

It will also aim to make a star out of Moshin Al Busaidi, who will become the first Omani to race round the world.

Moshin, who had never sailed before being picked for the Oman Sail project, was selected from eight Omanis in an X-Factor-style series of auditions.

Nick, from Southampton, was asked to join the crew after helping refit the Musandam, formerly Ellen MacArthur’s record-breaking B7Q, Castorama, while the yacht was in Cowes.

Other crew members are Cowes-based Charles Darbyshire and Frenchmen, Loik Gallon and Thierry Duprey Du Vorsent.