Please select your home edition
Edition
X-Yachts X4.0

Laura Dekker, Christmas alone brings an 'amazing' present

by Nancy Knudsen on 28 Dec 2011
Guppy at sunset SW
Laura Dekker, 16-year-old solo sailor currently on her way from Cape Town to Sint Maarten in the Caribbean on the last leg of her circumnavigation on her 38ft ketch Guppy, may be an amazing little sailor and full of sensible seamanship, but she's still a sixteen-year-old and spent Christmas Day delighted that she didn't have to put up with the Christmas obligations at home:

'... a simple Christmas is a great Christmas to me. This way I don't have to go visit the family and be sooo kind to everyone, I don't have to eat dinner, even a good one, if I don't feel like it just to be polite and what about all that talking, talking... Here Guppy is a very good listener and she never contradicts me ;-) , I can eat whatever and whenever I want, and I don't have to go for visits anywhere, but here with my little Christmas tree with its lights on, my Santa Claus cap and the Christmas garlands and all that is the perfect Christmas ambience for me anyway.'

So with a beam sea making life fairly uncomfortable and only squids and flying fish for company, she is happily sailing towards her goal - the Caribbean, a mere 4000 nautical miles away - which will see her finish her much longed for circumnavigation.

A welcome Christmas present:
Still Laura had an excellent Christmas present of sorts. A mere five days before she had passed the longitude of the Netherlands, meaning that she has passed all the world's lines of longitude, so could be said to have already circled the earth.

'...today Guppy came in line with the Netherlands' longitude [5° E], which means that I have now crossed all of the earth longitudes ... that's pretty amazing.'

Yes, it's pretty amazing Laura, and you may have another 40 days or so to go, but there's every indication that you are having the time of your life. Fair seas!

If you want to read the detail of Laura's life at sea, simply go to her http://www.lauradekker.nl/English/Home.html!website, but otherwise, just keep reading Sail-World Cruising and we will keep you up to date with the latest - not only on Laura, but on everything that relates to the cruising sailor.

B&G Zeus SR AUSPantaenius Sail 2025 AUS FooterCyclops Marine 2023 November - FOOTER

Related Articles

Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez preview
An exceptional fleet of grand classics are preparing An exceptional fleet of grand classics led by the legendary three-masted schooner Atlantic, a strong showing from the Wally yachts among the numerous Maxis, and the arrival of the new Magic Carpet e are all signs...
Posted today at 12:44 pm
OK Dinghy Europeans at Warnemünde overall
Charlie Cumbley wins after no racing on final day Britain's Charlie Cumbley has won the 2025 OK Dinghy European Championship, in Warnemünde, Germany, after all racing was cancelled on the last day with strong winds and passing storms.
Posted today at 11:44 am
Transpac Onboard Episode 5
Zeroing in on the finish We check back in with Stan Honey, navigator of 88-foot Lucky, on the heels of a 24-hour 380-mile run.
Posted today at 11:34 am
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