Please select your home edition
Edition
McDYachts_Pyewacket-for-Sale_1456x180 TOP

50 solo days at sea and heading for the Antarctic - Jessica Watson

by Nancy Knudsen on 10 Dec 2009
Jessica’’s route so far - now for the Antarctic SW
16-year-old Jessica Watson this week passed her 50th day at sea since her departure from Sydney in her attempt to become the youngest sailor to circumnavigate the world non-stop and unassisted.

Having crossed Doldrums and the equator twice, rounded the Island of Kiribati north of the equator, then plunged south between French Polynesia and the Cook Islands, she is now on about the same parallel as her home port of Mooloolaba in Queensland, and is heading for the Antarctic.

Unlike her predecessor and hero Jesse Martin, Jessica's telecommunications on the boat enable her to communicate with her Public Relations team and her Mum on a daily basis. She also has a lot of virtual company through the goodwill messages from the thousands of people who are now following her journey.

Jessica's journey was known only to Australian sailing enthusiasts before she hit a cargo ship on her first night at sea on her boat Ella's Pink Lady on a voyage from Mooloolaba to Sydney and launched a worldwide media frenzy. The resultant mainstream publicity has attracted an astonishingly large fan club of watchers.

In the meantime, her American counterpart, 16-year-old Abby Sunderland has reached Marina del Rey in her home port of Los Angeles with her new boat 'Wild Eyes' in which she will attempt her own non-stop unassisted circumnavigation in December. As Abby's boat is much faster than Jessica's, and she is a couple of months younger, it will be interesting to see the outcome in this undeclared battle to be the youngest.

The voyage of both girls has come under heavy criticism from many quarters, critics contending that 'youngest' records should not exist and the girls should apply themselves to their studies.

The World Speed Sailing Racing Council (WSSRC), who normally keeps a tally of sailing records, recorded Jesse Martin's voyage, but has thereafter refused to acknowledge a 'youngest' category.

In Holland, a third teenager, 14-year-old Laura Dekker was recently prevented from her own 2009 circumnavigation ambitions by a Dutch children's court who are insisting that she finish her school year before departing in 2010.

Laura Dekker's journey ambitions, however, cannot be compared to those of Abby Sunderland and Jessica Watson. Dekker grew up on a sailing boat, has already made a circumnavigation with her parents, and had no desire to complete the journey without stopping. Her ambition much more resembled Zac Sunderland's as a much relaxed cruising journey, stopping for sightseeing and repairs as she went.

Zac briefly became the youngest circumnavigator before British teen sailor Michael Perham, whose attempt to circumnavigate non-stop and unassisted came to nothing because of frequent necessary repairs to his boat, nevertheless completed his journey younger than Zac and currently holds an informal 'youngest' record.

Jessica and Abby will be approaching the most difficult part of their voyage - the rounding of Cape Horn, in the same southern summer of 2009/10, and are likely to be in radio contact.

Watch Sail-World Cruising for regular updates on the two voyages.

.................................
Letter from Reader:


> Sender: Ian reid
>
> Message: could you please tell me why she went so far north and then directly south,all those miles to gain little distance.
> regards, Ian
Hi Ian
Good question, and many others are wondering.
Round world racing started in the northern hemisphere, so all racers had to get to the southern hemisphere to sail non-stop round the world. Later, when racers began starting in the southern hemisphere, so that they couldn't have an advantage, the WSSRC (World Sailing Speed Record Council) introduced a rule that you had to cross the equator twice to make your record valid.

The WSSRC is not checking or validating Jessica's journey, but her PR company says that she wants to make it a 'quality' voyage, presumably so that she can been seen to have travelled as far as the liks of Abby Sunderland, who, travelling from California, will have to cross the equator twice. I agree it's all a bit artificial.
Cheers
Nancy Knudsen, Cruising Editor

.........................

RS Sailing 2021 - FOOTERBarton Marine Pipe GlandsSea Sure 2025

Related Articles

Middle Sea Race set to attract exceptional fleet
Royal Malta YC has 118 entries already At midnight on Friday, 19 September the 46th Rolex Middle Sea Race had amassed a fleet of 118 yachts. The entrants represent 30 countries and territories: from Australia and New Zealand to Finland and Norway, and from the United States to Romania.
Posted today at 6:27 pm
52 Super Series 2025 Porto Cervo day 1
Solid Sled earn early lead in Sardinia Takashi Okura's Sled lead the 52 SUPER SERIES - Porto Cervo - Range Rover regatta after the first two windward leeward races.
Posted today at 6:10 pm
Melges 24 Worlds 2025 at Trieste, Italy Day 1
No racing possible on the first day Good things are worth waiting for, and that was the adage at the opening day of the Melges 24 Worlds, which ended without any races in the scoreline. The weather in Trieste proved too unstable, with storms in the morning followed by a lack of wind.
Posted today at 5:41 pm
Formula Kite Worlds Quartu Sant'Elena preview
9th Sardinia Grand Slam is the first major step towards Los Angeles 2028 Next September 28th to October 5th, the Poetto beach will host the event that crowns the new World Champions. Among the top contenders: Maeder, Vodišek, and Pianosi in the men's fleet; Nolot, Aldridge, and Kampman among women
Posted today at 5:14 pm
SailGP, TOR Europe, Women's Match Racing Worlds
Good things often happen when preparation meets opportunity Good things often happen when preparation meets opportunity. Such was the case for the Germany SailGP Team presented by Deutsche Bank squad when they notched their first-ever SailGP event win at last weekend's Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix.
Posted today at 5:00 pm
A Q&A about the 2025 Hobie 16 North Americans
Tom Pace, Hal Smith, and Michael McNeir discuss the 2025 Hobie 16 North American Championship Spoiler alert: The Hobie 16 is far from a new design. But that doesn't matter: When Hobie Alter's first 16-foot fiberglass catamaran hit the Southern California beach scene in 1970, the sailing world was forever changed
Posted today at 3:00 pm
The Philadelphia Cup Regatta preview
There's still time to register Sail on or spectate along the Delaware River this Saturday, at The Philadelphia Cup Regatta presented by Sea Philly and the Independence Seaport Museum.
Posted today at 10:43 am
Melges 15 Fittings Guide
A breakdown of the fittings based on a complete Allen Brothers fit-out If you are looking to upgrade or replace the hardware on your Melges 15, it helps to know exactly which fittings you need and what their role is on the boat.
Posted today at 7:30 am
Fortaleza World Sailing Championships announced
Test event in January 2026, and the real thing in January 2027 World Sailing has confirmed the dates for Fortaleza 2027 World Sailing Championships as 22-30 January 2027, with a Test Event being held one year prior.
Posted today at 6:40 am
All set in Trieste for the Melges 24 Worlds
Racing set to begin at Yacht Club Adriaco The countdown is nearly over. In just a few hours, the Yacht Club Adriaco will oversee the start of one of the most eagerly awaited international sailing events of the season.
Posted today at 4:41 am