Today, Saturday 15 May 2010, at 1:53pm Australian time, sixteen year old Australian, Jessica Watson berthed in Sydney, Australia after more than 200 days sailing unassisted around the world. She achieved her goal of doing the journey before her 17^th birthday, in three days time.

Jessica left Sydney on 18 October 2009, amidst a lot of criticism. Her parents especially were criticized for allowing one so young to make the journey. However, as she had been sailing since she was eight years old, they believed in her ability to undertake the journey.

Jessica sailed a 10.23m Sparkman & Stephens S&S 34 boat named Ella’s Pink Lady. She set out from Sydney, Australia on 18 October 2009. The regulations stated that she must not at any time moor into any port or make contact with any boat. She was, however, allowed advice over radio communication. Another regulation stated she must cross the equator, which she did near the Pacific island of Kiritimati on 19 November 2009. On 25 January, 2010 Jessica and Ella’s Pink Lady passed the halfway mark of the journey, after 100 days at sea.

Because she did a predominantly southern hemisphere journey, Jessica’s journey fell short of the distance required for claiming a record sailing. However, as the WSSRC (World Sailing Speed Record Council) no longer allows records for the oldest and youngest sailors completing the journey, this was no longer an issue. Also, journeys made by people under the age of eighteen are no longer recognized, which does seem absurd. As Jessica said on her blog from aboard her yacht, “If I haven’t been sailing round the world, then it beats me what I’ve been doing out here all this time.”

As she approached  Sydney the customs officials boarded her yacht to complete the necessary re-entry documentation. Jesse Martin, another Australian, who holds the record for the youngest person to sail around the world boarded her yacht for her entry into the harbor. Jessica was greeted by a huge turn out of yachts as she sailed into the harbor and on land greeted by Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, who called her Australia’s newest hero.

Jessica does not consider herself a hero, but simply someone who had a dream and worked hard to make it come true. She said, “I’m an ordinary girl who had a dream. You don’t have to be anyone special to achieve something amazing. You just have to want it.”

The lack of recognition from the world sailing body and the absence of a recognized record sailing is disappointing, but can not take away the achievement of this young sailor. To have sailed the world on a solo unassisted journey at the age of sixteen is a truly remarkable experience.

More can be read about this remarkable young woman at:

http://www.jessicawatson.com.au/