Californian teen the youngest ever to round Cape Horn solo

by Nancy Knudsen on 1 Apr 2010 She might be setting out to circumnavigate the world solo and unassisted, and she might have a long way to go yet, but that didn't take away from the sweetness of being the youngest person ever to sail around Cape Horn solo.

Abigail Sunderland, one of (almost) eight children, sister of Zac, who has just done his own solo circumnavigation, and at just 16 years 5 months and 12 days, today announced that she had rounded Cape Horn.

'I didn't get to see it,' was her rather rueful comment, but GPS systems don't lie (well not very much anyway) and the Californian teenager rounded the dreaded Cape Horn while some 50-60 miles off shore.

Even freezing rain and fifteen foot seas could not dampen Abby's elation, as she has long regarded it as the most difficult part of her voyage. The truth, which she was glad to acknowledge, is that serendipity has looked kindly on her, with so little wind in the last few days that the teenager, was two days late in her estimated time to round the Cape. She now has a good 20 knots of wind and her slippery Open 40 racing boat is achieving speeds constantly in the early teens, with a record of 17 knots.

With an autopilot that has a fuel leak, Abby will now head northwards to slightly better latitudes and in the lee of South America to work on this. She has been using her back up autopilot. She has also had air bubbles in her vital watermaker, but the resourceful young sailor has mended it.

The biggest challenges for Abby, which she and her family and team are well aware of, will be caused by her relatively late start in the season. The delays were caused by difficulty securing a suitable yacht and then preparing it adequately for such a journey.

Her next two challenges will be the southerly tips of Africa and Australia, and autumn, with wind and seas getting colder and storms getting worse, is already upon us.

Fair seas, Abby, there are many sailors watching and applauding.

In the meantime, Australian teen Jessica Watson is crossing the Indian Ocean, not making much headway in the last day or so, due firstly to contrary winds, and then to flighty winds which took her boat in a complete circle while she was sleeping. They're the hazards of a solo sailor, and Jessica is better placed in this regard than Abby.

While wind steering follows the wind, and can put you in a circle if the wind changes and you're not watching, it is a trouble-free and reliable way of steering without the help of electric power. Abby on the other hand merely has two electric autopilots and must keep these in operation to avoid hand steering.

Up in the Netherlands, 14-year-old Laura Dekker is finishing her school year and preparing her newly acquired Jeanneau Gin Fizz ketch for a departure on a cruising circumnavigation, with stops in various locations around the world. Her plan is to depart in July/August and take two years to complete the voyage.