Jessica Watson stares out at the expanse of Pacific Ocean from the deck of her family home. The sun glistens off the calm sea and all appears tranquil.
In September, Watson’s experience of the ocean will likely be much different — she’ll be attempting to become the youngest person to sail solo, nonstop and unassisted around the world.
She’ll start the voyage at the tender age of 16, which has triggered animated debate in Australia about her parents and their decision to approve such a journey.
PHOTO: AFP
“You’ve got to have a goal, you’ve got to go for something,” Watson said in an interview. “I have the experience, I have the team, I have the preparations. I think I can do it.”
Sailing in her newly refit 10m yacht, Watson will cover nearly 42,600km (23,000 nautical miles) on a journey that will take her from Australia’s east coast and across the equator, south to Cape Horn at the tip of South America, across the Atlantic Ocean to South Africa, through the Indian Ocean and south of Australia back home.
She expects the trip to take her seven to eight months — “230 days hopefully” — she says, at which time she would become the youngest person to complete a solo unassisted circumnavigation.
The previous mark is held by another Australian, Jesse Martin, who was 18 when he completed the journey in 1999. An American, 17-year Zac Sunderland, is in the latter stages of completing a solo, around-the-world trip, although it’s not in the “unassisted” category.
“Without assistance” means that a vessel may not receive any kind of outside help or take on board any supplies, materials or equipment during the attempt. A craft may be anchored or beached during the attempt, but any repairs must be made without outside resources, materials or help.
Watson, who was inspired by fellow Australian Kay Cottee, the first woman to sail solo nonstop unassisted around the world, could easily beat the record in both age and time, but the very fact that a slight, less than 50kg teenage girl will be attempting such an arduous and dangerous trip has raised its share of eyebrows.
John Morrissey of the Australian Family Association said his rather strong criticism of Watson’s trip has led to “more flak from sailor types than anything else I’ve commented on.”
Morrissey, a school teacher, stands by his comments that a 16-year-old girl should still be in school. Watson, an 11th-grader who studies through correspondence, hasn’t attended a regular school since the ninth grade.
“I think she’s too immature, both physically and psychologically, to do something like this,” Morrissey said. “It’s sure putting a big load on her guardian angel.”
An informal Internet poll in her local Sunshine Coast newspaper marginally approved of Watson’s plans. Forty-seven percent said they thought experience was more important than age, 39 percent said she was too young, and 12 percent said they’d like to meet her first before commenting.
That 12 percent would probably be impressed.
Watson seems mature for her age, and has been sailing since she was 8. Her New Zealand-born parents, former real estate man Roger and mother Julie, lived for more than five years on a 15m motor boat with Jessica, her sister Emily, 17, brother Tom, 14 and younger sister Hannah, 11. Before that, the family spent two years traveling around Australia in a motor home.
Watson said she expected some criticism.
“As long as it’s sensible and good advice, you listen to it all,” she said. “The one thing I won’t accept is when someone calls this reckless. This is years and years of planning and preparation. We haven’t just jumped into this.”
Watson and her family have already spoken to Australian and New Zealand search-and-rescue officials. She’s studied navigation, electronics and safety procedures.
She and her mother are seeing a nutritionist to best plan the freeze-dried meals she’ll have on board for the journey, and she recently completed a maritime first-aid course.
“I learned about hypothermia, every kind of wound,” she said of the course. “I stitched up some chickens and stabbed a few oranges.”
Watson is allowed to catch fish, but admits a fishing rod is not “big on the agenda” because of the possibility of falling overboard. When she leaves Australia, she’ll have only about 360 liters of fresh water with her, but her sails and a gutter system on the boat will help her capture rainwater. A cooking stove will operate on methylated spirits, as propane gas was deemed to be too heavy and dangerous to take on board.
Don McIntyre of Hobart is a 40-year sailing veteran who circumnavigated the globe in 1990-1991. He’s providing the boat Watson will use and has helped the family in its preparations, along with a handful of sponsors who are providing sails, rigging and safety gear.
“I believe there is a lack of young people who want to live their dream,” McIntyre said.
Jesper Boqvist on Tuesday scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period as the Florida Panthers, after raising their second straight NHL Stanley Cup banner, opened the defense of the title by beating the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2. Mackie Samoskevich — getting his second assist, the fifth two-point game of his career — chipped the puck toward the goal and Boqvist knocked it out of the air for the lead with 10 minutes, 20 seconds left. A.J. Greer and Carter Verhaeghe also had goals for Florida, who got 17 saves from Sergei Bobrovsky. Frank Nazar had a goal and an assist and Teuvo
HOMETOWN ZERO: Fans relished the fall of former Brewer-turned-Cubs manager Craig Counsell, as Milwaukee braces to face the Dodgers, who in 2018 denied them a pennant Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy has referred to his team as the “Average Joes,” a nod to their small-market status and lack of big names, but after they beat rivals the Chicago Cubs 3-1 in the decisive fifth game of their National League Division Series (NLDS) on Saturday night, Murphy decided it was time for an upgrade. “You can call them the average Joes, but I say they’re the above-average Joes,” he said. The Brewers relied on contributions from just about every player to get past the Cubs. Andrew Vaughn hit a tiebreaking homer in the fourth inning, and William Contreras and Brice
Mexico’s teenage playmaker Gilberto Mora has lit up the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile as he basks in the limelight afforded by the absences of Barcelona and Real Madrid stars Lamine Yamal and Franco Mastantuono. “I don’t know if I’m the biggest star, and I’m not really interested in that. I think you can always give more,” 16-year-old Mora said before Mexico’s 4-1 win against host nation Chile in the round-of-16 on Tuesday, in which he provided the assist for the opening goal. Next on Mora’s schedule is a quarter-final clash against Argentina this morning Taiwan time, but after
‘SOMETHING SPECIAL’: Nathan Lukes hit a two-run single and Addison Barger had three of Toronto’s 12 hits as the Blue Jays bounced back After taking down the storied New York Yankees in their own ballpark in their American League Division Series on Wednesday, Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider was ready to revel in the triumph. “Start spreading the news,” Schneider said while popping a bottle of bubbly to set off the Blue Jays’ jubilant celebration inside their Yankee Stadium clubhouse. With the party under way, the familiar lyrics from Frank Sinatra’s version of New York, New York — the Yankees’ long-time victory anthem — sounded in the background as roaring Toronto players sprayed each other with booze in the Bronx. This time, it was their
RSS