Less than two weeks after Jessica Watson became the youngest person to sail solo around the globe non-stop and unassisted, a 73-year-old “old fart,” also from Australia, is aiming to become the oldest.
Warner Ferguson hopes to leave later this year and complete the grueling circumnavigation aged 74, beating the record of Japan’s Minoru Saito, who managed the feat at 71.
Thousands of cheering onlookers greeted Watson, 16, when she returned to Sydney on May 15 after seven months at sea, but Ferguson is not expecting any such fuss.
“Why would anyone want to waste their time coming out and waving to an old fart like me?” he asked. “I think I will just try to pop into Sydney and then I’ll go and play some golf.”
Ferguson, from Cairns, is currently selecting a yacht and meeting with his team in preparation for the trip, which could begin as early as September depending on conditions.
He said he has been planning the trip for several years and had not discussed it with Watson, who also comes from the state of Queensland.
However, Ferguson said he would take a cue from the teenager, now a national celebrity, by blogging for his supporters — despite poor typing skills.
“Everybody’s inspired by Jessica Watson,” he said. “I watched avidly when she returned to Sydney Harbour, but I cannot imagine why anybody would want to watch some old bloke.”
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