Please select your home edition
Edition
Vetus-Maxwell 2021 v2 LEADERBOARD

Jessica Watson's boss plans to sail beside her at Cape Horn - and wave

by Sail-World Cruising round-up on 2 Jan 2010
Jessica at sea in her lolly pink boat Ella’s Pink Lady SW
As Australian 16-year-old solo sailor Jessica Watson was celebrating after passing through her first Southern Ocean gale successfully, she received the news that her old boss is flying to South America with the intention of sailing around the Horn, and, hopefully being able to get close enough to wave to her.

Jessica is currently heading for Cape Horn in her attempt to be the youngest solo non-stop unassisted sailor to complete a circumnavigation.

Jessica was a dinghy instructor for Mooloolaba sailing academy, Sunshine Sailing Australia, and has long admired her one-time boss, John Bankart.

Bankart's own voyage from South America to Antarctica will take 26 days and take him, he hopes, within waving distance of the teen solo sailor. It will also involve his first rounding of the famously dreaded Cape Horn.

'Jess is up and she’s going and she’s doing a great job. Our aim is to see her in the flesh and speak to her via the radio,' John told the Sunshine Coast Daily.

'I think at that point of the journey – one of the toughest – it will be a real morale boost for Jess. As for me, well, I’m excited about rounding Cape Horn. It’s risky, but it’s every sailor’s dream.'

John also said he was proud of Jess’s courage and believed she would achieve her dream.

'Jess is one-in-a-million. A very special girl,' John told the Sunshine Coast's daily newspaper. 'She aims high but she has her eye on the prize. I’ve never doubted Jess for a moment.'

It's not the only 'company' that Jessica is able to boast recently. Dilip Donde, a Commander in the Indian Navy is fast catching Jessica in a much bigger yacht - his trip is sponsored by the Indian Navy, and, if completed will be the first complete solo circumnavigation by an Indian national. They have been staying in touch by HF radio as he draws near.

Jessica is expected to round the Horn in the second week in January, a little before the best time of the year, which is in February. However, Jessica has then to round the Cape of Good Hope and cross the Indian Ocean while using as much of the more benign summer weather as possible.

Meanwhile in Marina del Ray in Los Angeles, Abby Sunderland, Californian teenager just five months younger than Jessica is planning her own departure in the next few days.

Both girls are attempting to become the youngest round world solo non-stop and unassisted sailor, to break Australian Jesse Martin's 1999 record.

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350Rooster 2025Sydney Boat Show 2025 - Apply to Exhibit

Related Articles

The Acetal Pivoting Mast Step
A New Generation of Precision At Allen, we're always refining performance through engineering innovation. That's why we're excited to introduce the Acetal Pivoting Mast Step – a lightweight, cost-effective evolution of our popular Aluminium Pivoting Mast Step.
Posted today at 7:00 am
iQFOiL Worlds a Aarhus day 4
The Final Series begins in Aarhus under the Nordic evening light The first day of the Final Series at the iQFOiL World Championship brought both patience and intensity to Aarhus Bay. With the fleets now split into Gold and Silver, racing was set to resume with high pressure and limited wind.
Posted today at 5:19 am
British Classic Week day 3
Concours d'Elegance parade and the female and youth (under 25yrs) helm race Day three at British Classic Week in Cowes brought the annual Concours d'Elegance parade and the female and youth (under 25yrs) helm race sponsored by Marineware and Awlgrip.
Posted on 9 Jul
International Moth Worlds at Lake Garda Day 2
A day of waiting with no racing held The second day of racing at the 2025 Moth World Championship began with high hopes: as early as 10:00 a.m., a promising southerly breeze began to build on Lake Garda, hinting at ideal conditions for a full day on the water.
Posted on 9 Jul
Admiral's Cup AC2 Class
Offshore legends, small boats, big test In the 2025 Admiral's Cup, AC2 features smaller boats than their AC1 team mates but the challenge is every bit as tough, if not tougher. This is where elite skill meets raw offshore endurance.
Posted on 9 Jul
Understanding sMRT Alert with Jack Sharland
Man Overboard Devices have come a long way in the last few years Man Overboard Devices have come a long way in the last few years with more features packed into smaller devices, but with all these features it can sometimes be difficult to understand what they all do.
Posted on 9 Jul
Django Team to represent Italy at Admiral's Cup
Yacht Club Costa Smeralda launches two-boat campaign in historic return of the elite offshore race After a 20-year hiatus, the Admiral's Cup is back - and Italy is ready to make a bold return to one of offshore sailing's most legendary stages.
Posted on 9 Jul
Noakes Sydney GC Yacht Race: Don't stop me now
Corinthian sailor Elizabeth Tucker takes on the world Elizabeth Tucker had barely stepped on board a yacht before 2021. Fast forward four years to 2025 and the English-born, Sydney-based sailor has sailed her Class40 yacht, First Light, from Spain to Australia.
Posted on 9 Jul
29er Europeans at Lake Garda overall
Record-breaking event closes in style More than 250 teams, 29 nations, six days of varied racing, and a fleet of young athletes pushing high-performance sailing to the next level. The 2025 29er European Championship, hosted by Fraglia Vela Riva, has officially wrapped.
Posted on 9 Jul
Meet the CYCA's Admiral's Cup Team
Meet the skippers and sailors, get to know their roles and discover what makes their programs unique Meet the skippers and sailors, get to know their roles and discover what makes their programs unique.
Posted on 9 Jul