Sydney - Jessica Watson has borrowed a boat and lined up
sponsors for a solo round-the-world attempt that starts in September
from her home on Australia's east coast.
'It's been my dream since I was about 11,' she said. 'I've wanted
to do this, and have been planning for it, for years.'
Some wonder whether any 16-year-old is up to the rigours of eight
months alone at sea. The Australian Family Association's John
Morrissey was aghast when he learned Watson was bidding to become the
youngest person to sail round the world alone, unaided and without
stopping.
'I'm a secondary teacher and I've been teaching 15 year-old girls
for 42 years and I'd be amazed if any of them could cope with
something like that,' Morrissey said.
His qualms were echoed in letters to editors that castigated the
Watsons for not dousing the dreams of their daughter.
'The kid should be given a clip over the ear, told to get into her
room and do her homework, and the parents should be told to get a
responsible attitude or they will be taken to task by authorities,' a
writer identified only as Phil told the editor of the LiveSailDie
sailing website.
At the centre of the storm is a gangly girl who seems perhaps a
little too ready with the adventurer's mantra that even crossing the
street is risky.
'I was raised on the water. I feel very comfortable and safe
there,' Watson said. 'I'll be perfectly happy if I went doing what I
loved.'
The impudence of it has some people seething. After the Watsons
announced the record attempt on television, a viewer wrote in with
the cruel observation that she 'just looked like a naïve 15-year-old
with dullard parents, and all of them had no real comprehension of
the magnitude of the tasks she wants to undertake.'
Among her defenders is millionaire businessman and adventurer Dick
Smith. A sponsor of the record attempt, he said that 'even if
something goes wrong, I'll be able to say truthfully that my money
went to improving safety and reducing risk.'
Smith insists that 'compared to the number of young Australians we
lose in car crashes and drug abuse, adventuring around the world in a
yacht is far less risky and far more inspiring.'
Adventurer Don McIntyre, who is lending the boat, also rages
against a risk-averse culture he says is swamping the can-do spirit.
'We can't afford to over-protect our kids,' he said. 'They need to
find themselves, challenge the natural world, and understand what it
is to minimize risk and make good decisions.'
Roger Watson, Jessica's father, said insurance had been taken out
to pay for any compensation claim a rescue might throw up.
He bridles at the notion that reflected glory has any part in the
record attempt. 'I know all parents say that their child can do this
and do that,' he said, 'but, I mean, we believe she's it - she's the
person who can do it.'
Mike Hanning, from sponsor TracPlus Global Ltd, said the tracking
equipment his company was donating would benefit Jessica and her
family and friends regardless of whether she set a record.
'Jessie is a remarkable young woman who has planned her
round-the-world attempt with absolute professionalism,' he said.
The Watsons are working full-time on the project. The 10-metre
boat is undergoing a complete refit and no expense is being spared.
'There's no doubt I'll have every means available to achieve my
goal,' Watson said. 'I couldn't have got to where I am without the
incredible support of so many people and suppliers.'
Come September, this home-schooled girl will be on her own for the
first time in her life. It's a prospect that unsettles some people.
'Horrifying thought,' a blogger called Nikki told the LiveSailDie
website. 'Hope someone steps in and offers her a companion to look
after her.'
USA
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