TEENAGE sailor Sam Henderson returned from the trip of a lifetime in the Tall Ships Race to find a new mode of transport.

The 16-year-old arrived home at Kelloe, near Durham City, to find he was getting a 1997 Volkswagen Polo car from his mother, Diane, and grandmother, Shirley, for his 17th birthday in September.

"I saw it on a neighbour's drive and thought it was his, but then I realised it had balloons and congratulations messages on it.

"It was such a surprise I was gobsmacked,'' he said.

"You can't get any better than that - being at sea for a month and coming back to a car."

Sam, who is starting a course in public service at New College, sailed on the 45ft sail training craft Black Diamond from Newcastle to Norway, then to Holland and back home to Hartlepool. He is partly deaf and needs a hearing aid, but found it caused no problems in taking part in all the crew activities.

He said: "At one point, we had waves coming over the side and I had to take the hearing aid out. People had to shout to me a bit more but it didn't make any big complications for me.

"I had a brilliant time. Just sailing out of Newcastle was brilliant.

"We hit a Force 10 coming back - Force 12 is the highest, it's like a hurricane - and it was pretty bad, but we coped with it and got here OK.''

Other problems on the trip included having to call at Peterhead, in Scotland, after a crew member was injured, and a spot of engine failure.

Sam, who enjoys activities such as scuba diving and mountaineering, is now hoping that he will be able to take part in the next Tall Ships Race.