The mother indicated that the effort was rushed because of the advertising sponsorship dollars. If her parent had delayed the trip to the spring, Abby would have been too old to win any type of sailing record. There was no interest from the sponsors if she had turned 17 before the trip ended.
And there we have it folks it was all about the advertizers and MONEY!
Whoa...
All you people who don't want to restrict your children's dreams: if your children's dreams need sponsorships which cause you to undermine your child's safety, you are BAD PARENTS. PERIOD. Money should not trump your child's safety.
This young woman could have done this over 18 however it would have been financed. If it was her dream, it was her dream. To "be the youngest" anything pretty much means you are about celebrity, which means you are immature, and which means you need PARENTS to teach you that dreams about being famous can wait until 18, because fame is not a kind mistress.