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When a 16 year old teen girl would be normally be dating, Watson was stowing gear for an eight month trip that will take her around Cape Horn, the Cape of Good Hope and eventually back home again. Her 10-meter yacht, Ella's Pink Lady, was totally decked out with the name "Ella" on her sails.
What most of the world is asking, "What parent would let their sixteen year old daughter take off to do a solo sail around the world?" Watson and her parents insist she is an experienced and capable sailor. Jessica has been sailing since she was eight. "I do actually have a lot of experience behind me and I suppose a lot of people don't realize that," she said.
Jessica Watson's role model for this around-the-world extreme-sailing adventure, was non other than Jesse Martin of Australia. Jessica will try to break Martin's record as the youngest person to sail solo and non-stop around the world unassisted. "On October 31, 1999, at the age of just eighteen, Jesse Martin sailed into the record books in his yacht Lionheart by becoming the youngest person ever to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around the world," according to his now famous book, Lionheart: A Journey of the Human Spirit. During his 10 month voyage, Martin never stepped off the 34 foot sailboat or received supplies, relying on wind power only.
Watson knows from reading extreme sailing books that there will be dangers and risks along the way. Storms, loneliness and isolation will likely plague her to some extent. The 23,600 (38,000 km) mile voyage will take her past northern New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa and eventually back home to Australia. The eight month long trip will see her rounding the southern tips of Africa and South America. The Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn are not for the faint of heart, but then again, she already knows this. This route will keep her from the pirate-infested waters of India, Bangladesh, Somalia and the Gulf of Aden.
Even though Jessica Watson will sail solo and unassisted, that doesn't mean she won't have contact with the outside world. Technology has come along way since Tania Aebi and Jesse Martin sailed around the world. Watson will have all the latest gadgets, and will be in constant contact with her family and support team via email, radio and her blog, at jessicawatson.com.au/.
If you're wondering what a home-sick teenager will do at Christmas on a sailboat, "I've got a Christmas bag and I've got a whole lot of party bags to open up when I need a bit of a pick-up or something on different occasions along the ways." Jessica Watson is expected back by May 18th, 2010, a day before her 17th birthday.
Check out Jessica Watson's video for a tour of "Ella's Pink Lady".
Sources: cnbc.com; abc.net.au
Written by Donna Diegel
Exclusive to HULIQ.com
Posted October 18th, 2009 by Donna Diegel
