She is not sailing for the record now, but for the accomplishment.
After many weeks of struggling with problematic equipment on board the Wild Eyes, 16-year-old Abby Sunderland of Thousand Oaks announced she will be making a much-needed stop in Cape Town, South Africa, which will bring to an end her attempt to be the youngest person to complete a non-stop, unassisted solo-circumnavigation of the globe by sea.
"It would be foolish and irresponsible for me to keep going with my equipment not working well," wrote Sunderland on her blog yesterday. She has been relying on an intermittently-working auto pilot to get her by since she left from Marina Del Rey on January 23.
It will take her about 10-14 days to get to Cape Town, she estimates, but once the repairs are made, she says she's going to keep going.
..."This whole trip came from a dream, a dream to sail around the world, and that is what I am doing - youngest or not, non-stop or stopping."
She'll still have an awesome resume' at 16.
Well, I’m disappointed. However, very understandable and very mature decision.
I’ll still follow her progress.