Posted on 05/15/2010 9:18:19 PM PDT by TonyfromOz
Yesterday, a young 16 year old Jessica Watson sailed into Sydney Harbour, and became a legend. This was the finish of her round the World journey. She achieved this in a 30 foot yacht 'Ella's Pink Lady', on her own, unassisted, and non stop. This makes her the youngest person to have achieved this momentous feat. It took her seven months and she covered almost 20,000 nautical miles. This is a huge achievement for any person, let alone a young 16 year old girl. This is an inspiring thing, and this wonderful young lady not only enters the record books as the first, but she becomes a legend for the rest of her days. Jessica Watson. A true Australian hero.
Many stories such as this are ignored by the MSM. This is a great story!
What a beautiful courageous young woman. Congratulations Jessica!
Well done, sailor!
She is incredibly brave and also talented.
Home is the sailor.
She is remarkably sensible.
Didn’t hear anything about a relationship with God, sadly.
Yet, her psychology and other values seem to be well above average. Her humility was remarkable.
And her wisdom is beyond her years.
What little is said about her course seems to indicate that she stayed well away from land for the most part.
Which makes sense, in today’s world the furies of nature would be the least of her worries. There are some bad neighborhoods out there where she would have made a tasty morsel.
I’m impressed. It’s much easier today than even 20 years ago, given that navigation is now a push of a button, and sail furling systems and self-steering/autopilot devices are so advanced.
You could almost steer a sailboat like hers by remote control today, with onboard sensors sending back data, and land controllers sending back servo orders.
Glad you put "controversy" in quotation marks. The ideal circumnavigation would be along the equator 21,600nm. One or two obstacles prevent that so other routes are accepted, provided that the total distance is greater than 21,600. Now once you avoid the obstacle by going south of the Great Capes, you can shortcut by going further south.
The World Speed Sailing Records Council, who won't recognise Jessica's voyage anyway, declares only physical waypoints are acceptable. So between Tristan de Cunha, Atlantic (Which Jessica went north) of, and SE Cape, Tasmania (Which she went south of), the Great Circle Distance is c.5900nm. That crosses Antarctica, so the WSSRC generously assume sailors will skim the Ice Wall at 63°S and do c.6000nm - And that's the distance they insist she sailed, no matter how insane.
In the real world, the organisers of the Vendee Globe aims to keep competitors alive by establishing a number of virtual "gates" by GPS along 50°S that boats have to pass through, and prevents them going below the low 50°s. For TdC to SECape, this gives c.6500nm.
Now Jessica did that sector in the mid 30°s and covered 7500nm-8000nm.
She did the miles. (and closer to the Equator, which is the ideal we started with)
When you’ve done it, you can come back an tell us how easy it was. In the meantime keep your sour grapes.
Hank
Basically I was comparing the RELATIVE ease of her feat to Slocum, Moitissier, Graham etc. That is, back when navigation was a sextant and a stop watch, furling systems were nonexistent, long range radio comms ditto, and self-steering spotty at best.
It's almost like comparing crossing the USA in 1920 in a Model T to crossing the USA on interstates in a Lexus in 2010.
That’s what I like about you Travis, even when I disagree with you at least you’ve done the “put up” part.
Hey, it’s great what she did. But you just CAN’T compare her feat to the earlier solo sailors. It’s literally a Model-T on no roads compared to a Lexus on the interstate. The only thing they have in common is 4 wheels.
Sorry, not buying it. The comparisons mean nothing. This is a homeschooled young lady, in a home without TV, who did a marvelously courageous thing, and exhibited the greatest of human virtues, independence.
In spite of her accomplishment there is not hint of hubris in any of here statements, unlike yours. Think you need to rethink your position on this, but you do not answer to me. I’m only expressing my admiration for what this 16 year old young lady has done. It is not insignificant.
I keep thinking all the criticism of her sounds like, “what does this upstart think she’s doing. Why can’t she be like any other decent Australian 16 year old and do drugs and get pregnant.” I think every criticism is a confession of the inferiority of the critic.
Hank
I have no criticism of her. I think it’s great, and since I’ve sailed a bit myself, I’m qualified to comment.
The earlier solo-sailors were driving Model-Ts across the wilderness, compared to her driving a Lexus down the freeway. The technology of navigation, communication, self-steering, autopilots and sail handling have made it possible to “remote control” sailboats across oceans.
Of course, if you would like to compare your sailing resumee to mine, perhaps you could convince me you are correct.
Sorry about the wrong impression. I have no interest in convincing anyone of anything. Just tired of the world’s continuous criticism of anyone who independently accomplishes anything, like Jessica.
I’m not a sailor and am not in any competition with anyone on that score, and if I were, I would not care whether anyone else knew it or not. I know what I’ve accomplished and need no one else to recognize or acknowledge it. For whatever you have accomplished, be proud of it, and you have my appreciation of it.
Hank
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