Posted on 06/12/2010 7:04:01 AM PDT by jimbo123
A French fishing vessel rescued a California teenager Saturday from her crippled sailboat in the turbulent southern Indian Ocean, bringing relief to her family but ending her around-the-world sailing effort.
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
Well she did do more than most of the population could ever have done. Give her that at least.
Understand the motivation of her Octoparents and you’ll understand why she was sailing this leg during the winter.
It’s about feeding kids to the lions for ego. So the record is now set by a 16 year old girl from Australia. So next year the foolhardy kid will be 15? 14? How young are you willing to go so they can be a glory hound?
You should read this girls blog for a little insight.
While I agree as a sailor myself with Ian about the Southern Ocean and think she should have taken a longer more northerly path that is the only issue I have with any of this.
I guess my standards and ideas are dated.
What about the pilots? Any thoughts on them? Or is that too inconvenient to address?
As to Kiernan,
Did he voice those concerns directly to her and the family or is he just now coming out as some spokeshole?
I see nothing in that article that indicates he talked with the family personally about the risks. Did he make such a clamor about this PRIOR to Abby sailing as to put some doubts into not only the sponsors, but the family? Not that I can see.
So using him as some shining beacon of experience on the hill is pointless. His words now ring hollow and empty.
As I said earlier, Fancy technology saved her and not capability.
Is it? Can you honestly say that every parent that allows their children to expand the boundaries and challenge themselves is doing it for ego, to be a glory hound?
Some are, no question. But who are we to judge the motives and intent?
“I hardly think that refusing to allow a teen to solo sail around the world is equivalent to neutering.”
I do, If they have the capability to do it. We’ve hit six deer in the six miles of gravel road between our house and the little town we live by in the last year alone. In theory any one of those six would have been fatal, especially on a gravel road. So there’s risk, should we bottle up our teens? Or let them drive? I’d guess this girl could have survived a while after the mast was removed. So you wait it out, just like getting caught in a zero visabilty blizzard, at night, when the outside temp is -XX°F. Life is always at risk while you are alive - it’s only when you’re dead that there are no more risks.
Abby and Zac’s parents have 5 other kids (soon to be 6 kids) that they can use to try to break the record. They are all younger than Abby and Zac. All that is needed is the advertising sponsors.
Was she out there in a plain yacht without all the technology? Was she braving a prairie winter like our ancestors? Did she join the army at 16 to fight for her country? Nope. She was foolishly sailing the Indian Ocean in winter so she could say "I DID IT". It served no other purpose than to feed her ego.
I have no problem with it being for personal glory. A lot of great achievements start out as endeavors for personal glory. I don’t necessarily think it was all about the record, either. Frankly, I don’t care what the motivation was. Did you ever think maybe the reason the Frenchman went to the rescue was to achieve ‘personal glory’?
You in post 118:Indeed this young lady with all the equipment, training and such was taking less risk than many 16 year olds take everyday driving while texting or distracted by friends in 4000 pound machines going 60 MPH.
The French sailors were saving a scared and freezing 16 year-old girl in the middle of the Indian Ocean who shouldn’t have put there by her parents.
What does the technology have to do with the “pampered puss” reference you made?
The technology helps mitigate the risks, it doesn’t mean that the girl didn’t have stones to attempt it or that she’s a “pampered puss” for taking advantage of the technology.
If she hadn’t, I can only imagine the vilification that would be going on right now. Thank God for the technology that allowed folks to know she was in trouble.
I gotta go to work, I look forward to debating/sparring later.
FRegards,
SZ
I see nothing in that article that indicates he talked with the family personally about the risks.
Are you saying that her parents are too stupid and ignorant about sailing that they don't know the Indian Ocean is dangerous in winter? They need someone to tell them? I thought they were sailing geniuses? And she was highly capable because she was taught by them?
Have a good day.
Isn't this a forum where we debate and give opinions? Run out of debate points?
Bye.
Yeah. I read that. Mom’s due in July.
Well, that’s what you were implying by bringing up the sailing “expert”, were you not?
You were using him as justification for not making the attempt, now you’re saying it was up to the parents.
Now I really gotta go,
Take care,
SZ
Have a nice day.
Abby’s mom is due to deliver her 8th kid any day now. As a result, Mom and Dad won’t be able to meet their daughter in port when she finally gets ther. They are some strange people.
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