Youngest Solo Circumnavigation – Teens With a Dream!

Three teenage girls had a dream … the dream was so great that it burned in them, and it could not be denied! It’s unstoppable!

Courts all over the land could not kill the dream, they tried, a large container ship could not furrow this dream … lying in the raging seas and drifting in the ocean could not stop the dream!

Parents were criticized and attacked for even encouraging and supporting their dream! The media questioned their dream … too young, too risky and irresponsible … the peoples of the world had different opinions!

These three teenage girls were from different parts of the world, Australia, Holland and California, USA, and all that united them was that they all dreamed of the same dream.

What were they dreaming of?

To travel the world alone, you travel the world! It’s a huge journey, even for a yacht with a full crew, but it tells the story of teenage girls who plan to travel the world on their own.

Two of these girls wanted to go solo without stopping, and one of the girls wanted to stop to explore some of the amazing countries and cultures that this planet has to offer. What are their stories?

Jessica and her solo circumnavigation of the world:

Jessica Watson:

Jessica has been on a boat since the age of eight and dreamed of travelling alone at eleven. She read the books of the people who did it and how they handled it … for example, Kay Cottey and Jesse Martin, two solo tours. It filled his dream!

After persuading mom and dad and demonstrating her determination and skills, she began to mentally prepare for this epic journey, determined to set off. Part of it was a conversation with a sports psychologist who has been in the sea alone for a long time, which you can’t do, but she prepared as well as possible.

Unlike many single travelers, her technology is now very advanced and she had access to the Internet and webcam for communication, as well as many other amenities to make it easier and safer. There was also a good ground team with high technical support and information.

His yacht was a 34-foot-tall S-S, the same one on which Jesse Martin sailed to make history, travelling alone around the world at the age of 17. His plan to follow the rules of this circumnavigation began in Brisbane, then headed northeast through the equator to Washington Island in the North Pacific, around Cape Horn near Africa, south and to Cape of Good Hope, across the Indian Ocean and finally east. The Australian coast returns to Brisbane. This covers approximately 23,000 nautical miles and takes approximately 230 days.

It didn’t work out! During sea trials for trying to get around the world … it failed to detect the 64,000-year-old cargo ship on its radar. It was her first night at sea, and she just fell asleep when she collided with the ship. His yacht Pink Lady was decommissioned and badly damaged.

She was very indignant that she had not advanced with her planned solo round-the-world voyage, and was very disappointed in various sources, including the media.

Jessica hesitated and sought to give up her dream … at the age of 16, she became the youngest person to travel around the world alone, unaided and nonstop. She won the record and sailed to Sydney, Australia, in May 2010, met by huge crowds on the beach and in the water. She triumphed … I watched TV and cried with happiness and pride for this teenage girl!
Jessica said: ‘She was just an ordinary girl with a dream!’

Teenage girl with determination!

Laura Decca:

A 14-year-old girl has appeared in court in the Netherlands as a result of a years-long struggle with Dutch authorities that sparked a global media storm. The first trial involved Youth and other government organizations, and in August 2009 they asked a judge to take her away from her father and place her in a safe clinic. He was placed under the supervision of the Dutch protection authorities!

Why? Was she a child-criminal … troublemaker … Did she commit a crime?

Laura’s crime was a dream, and she was determined to bring it to life! His dream is to go around the world alone! The court said she was too young to stand up for herself at sea! She eventually won the battle in court in July 2010 and left Sint Maarten on January 20, 2011.

Laura was born on a yacht off the coast of New York to a family of sailors who lived aboard a sailboat and first set sail at the age of six. Friends described her as a smart, independent and disciplined girl. She’s been dreaming of crossing the world since she was ten.

Laura made her dream come true aboard her 38-foot sailing boat Guppy, exploring the world in search of freedom and adventure. Unlike other teenage sailors, she dropped anchor in ports to sleep, study and repair her yacht. It has explored places such as the Canary Islands, Panama, the Galapagos Islands, French Polynesia, Australia and South Africa. She surfed, dived and made many new friends along the way.

Laura said, “There were times when I asked, “What am I doing here?” but I never wanted to stop,” she told reporters after the battle on the high seas and the strong winds near Cape Town, South Africa. “It’s a dream, and I wanted it to come true! »

She celebrated her 16th birthday on the trip by eating doughnuts for breakfast after spending time at the port with her father and friends in Darwin, Australia.

“Laura has great will and ambition,” said lawyer Peter de Lange, who advised Laura and her father, “her desire to do so came from her heart and soul, and no one wanted her. Stop.”

Laura swam in the harbour of the Yacht Club of St. Maarten late on Saturday night, a year and a day after the start of her grand journey when she was 16; he was welcomed by a lot of philanthropists! She fulfilled her dream of a solo round-the-world trip!

Laura left two months after Abby Sunderland, a 16-year-old American sailor who was rescued in a similar attempt in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Jessica Watson from Australia completed her solitary journey at the age of 16, a few months older than Laura Decker. The difference is that his trip was non-stop and unaided.

Abby managed to complete the southern tip of South America, but then there were problems with the equipment, and she had to stop in South Africa for repairs. She still decided to continue her round-the-world journey and was already halfway there when her boat collapsed in severe weather conditions, leaving an emergency beacon and eventually being rescued.

Lawrence Sunderland, her father, a shipbuilder, said her daughter had thousands of miles of solitary swimming experience before take-off and studied her skills under a microscope.

He said: “It was not an easy decision. Abigail has grown up in the ocean all her life. She has lived on yachts for more than half of her life. This is Abigail’s second nature.”
He said the team working on Wild Eyes and the Circumnavigation project was “unparalleled.” The boat has already travelled the world and has been equipped with advanced communication systems, navigation systems and backup systems. “

How did Abby react to this shitty storm in the media? “It wasn’t the time of year, it was just a storm in the Southern Ocean. Storms are part of the bargain when you start swimming around the world. As for age, since when does age cause massive waves and storms?”

She told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: “I’m definitely going to be touring the world again or trying again. I’ve wanted to go around the world for years and I’ll definitely do it again.” She may have left the wrecked boat, but her determination is still unwavering! Abby followed the example of her brother, zack, who at the age of 17 managed to solo on a world tour.

In the end!

Sailing and life in general are dangerous! I swam alone … only I’m forty and older, and sometimes I’ve been in situations where I’ve been wondering what I’m doing and sometimes my judgment. My age didn’t matter, as did my experience. For me, fatigue sometimes destroyed my judgment. Thus, we can all have an opinion on age and experience. In any case, I believe in the fulfillment of my dream!