IF you've got £1.4m to spare then how about going on a round-the- world cruise from Southampton aboard the Oriana with 194 friends?

Equally, you could pick up 28 of the latest BMW 645 Coupes, spend 2,978 days in a deluxe room at The Ritz, or sample 25,454 a la carte meals cooked by Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's.

But if that doesn't tempt the taste buds and you fancy splashing out on something a little different, then Alex Thomson could be your man.

The 30-year-old Hampshire sailor is desperately looking for a sponsor to fund his trip on one of the toughest yachting races in the world - the Vendee Globe solo race.

And Alex has gone to extraordinary lengths to attract the financial backing.

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