After more than six months at sea, alone, 16-year-old Jessica Watson has crossed both the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans and has made it nearly all the way around the world. She is now back back in Australian waters and halfway through the Great Australian Bight. Her plan is to cruise south around Tasmania before turning north and heading back home to Sydney.
Those of us who have been following her attempt to set the world record as the youngest around-the-world solo sailor offer her the best of wishes on this final leg of her voyage.
Update: I just saw this headline over at Huffington Post:
I naturally thought that Jessica, with only a week or so to go, had ditched her attempt for some reason, but reading on, I learned that "A 16-year-old Southern California girl hoping to become the youngest person to sail around the world alone has ended her quest and will head to South Africa for boat repairs."
The 16-year-old Southern Californian is apparently an Abby Sunderland, who reportedly wrote on her blog that it would be "foolish and irresponsible" to keep going after losing use of her boat's main autopilot. She expects to land in Cape Town in about two weeks.
The record for the youngest person to circumnavigate, the one Jessica is seeking to break, is held by 17-year-old Mike Perham of Britain. Sutherland embarked on her voyage last January 23 after her older brother Zac completed a westerly solo circumnavigation at the age of 17.
There was no mention of Jessica Watson is the Huffington article.
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