Jessica Watson

[SABRE]

How do you feel about Jessica Watson’s voyage around the world ?

As a parent, when I first heard about the planned trip, I thought “You’ve got to be kidding !”
Although I still have grave reservations for one so young to be undertaking this huge test of
knowledge, endurance, ability and commitment, I now find myself very excited for this girl and
the challenges she will have to face. Once I removed the overprotective parental hat, looked at
her experience and sailing qualifications, saw the quality of her vessel, equipment and safety
precautions, I find myself following her progress with a passion nearing her own.

Jessica’s parents and the sailing experts who know her are convinced she can do it, so what
right have I to say NO ? “You can’t do it.” “Stay safe.” “Stay home.” “Spend the rest of your life
wondering …IF.”

Although highly unlikely, I hope Jessica gets fair weather throughout her long voyage and comes
home to a hero’s welcome. May she inspire kids who are doing it tough or have lost hope, to get
out and do their best to better not only their own lives, but our world in general.
I think we all need this adventure to end positively, so positive thoughts are what I’ll be
projecting.

Please take extra care sweetie. Come home safe and sound. Your success could mean so much
more than you realise.

GO FOR IT JESSICA !



For those who are also interested, use this link.

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

Then go to her daily blog.

[Pseudo]

Call me a grumpy old bugger, but I for one am sick of seeing her name in the paper. "Jessica Watson about to set sail" "Jessica Watson to leave next week" "Jessica Watson waiting for the curling tongs to cool before sailing" "Jessica Watson gets a manicure while waiting for clement winds" etc etc etc. Sheesh...

Check out the latest story:
"DESPITE checking her radar, Jessica Watson failed to notice a 30,000 tonne ship in her path. "
Flippin' woman driver....

[Booney]

She left 3 days late because the waves were too big just outside the harbour she was departing!

She also said she hopes to cross the Equator once at least, weel, cross it once and you aren't coming back to Australia girl.

It appears as though nobody in her camp has noticed how difficult and dangerous this task is and every time I have seen her speak she appears horribly immature compared to my memories of that Jesse Spencer.

Can only hope she arrives safely, where ever that may be.

[aceman]

Brave but silly!

[Farmy]

This sea voyage is like launching an invasion of the sun.

[Magpiespower]

Dumb. Just plain dumb. And for what?

What odds for another million dollar rescue?

[AFLflyer]

Yep you said it P. Grumpy old men. Negative

good bloody on her and good luck..

imagine the challenge she is facing, easy to judge when you have no idea about sailing or what she is trying to achieve.

[A Mum]

Good first post SABRE

But I'm afraid I can't get passed the 'protective parent' thing.

I'm having a hard enough time teaching my 16 year old daughter to drive,
Let alone sail a yacht around the world !

I get worried when my son's out late at night - early morning,
Till I hear him come through the front door.
Let alone waiting for a 16 year old to return from sailing a yacht around the world !

I do remember how distressed young Jesse got on his voyage,
As it was a lot harder than he anticipated.
Just hope she has the strength and courage to get through it.
And does return home safe and sound.

They must be better parents than I

[heater31]

When She set off from her home port headed for Sydney I thought Good Luck to her. I read the current record holder Jesse ?? book and the highs and lows of what he went through.

But when less than 24 hours at sea she collides with a Bulk Carrier then she should stay in school if she can't navigate her way to Sydney then what the f**k is she going to do in the middle of the southern ocean

[Barto]

Call me a grumpy old bugger, but I for one am sick of seeing her name in the paper. "Jessica Watson about to set sail" "Jessica Watson to leave next week" "Jessica Watson waiting for the curling tongs to cool before sailing" "Jessica Watson gets a manicure while waiting for clement winds" etc etc etc. Sheesh...

Check out the latest story:
"DESPITE checking her radar, Jessica Watson failed to notice a 30,000 tonne ship in her path. "
Flippin' woman driver....

I'm with you. She's this years Jana Pitman.

I'm also sick of these ******* idiots undertaking this risky type of "adventure". When they get in the shit, someone else will bail them out.

Call me a cynic, but it's less about the actual challenge and more about the lucrative book and movie deals later on. Get me a media agent.

Everything I've seen suggests she's under prepared and not up to it. Perhaps she'll be lucky.

[Bully]

dont know and dont care. Whoopty friggen do if she sails or not got more important things to think about in the world today then some 16 year old, or however old she is sailing round the world.

[blink]

dont know and dont care. Whoopty friggen do if she sails or not got more important things to think about in the world today then some 16 year old, or however old she is sailing round the world.

So this post is evidence of how much you don't care, yet still cared enought to post it?

[Lightning McQueen]

I don't like the astronomical costs to the taxpayers to send a plane out to the middle of the ocean to rescue some dipsh!t who decided to spend a year of their life sailing around the world. Buy a PS3 if you're that bored.

[Dirko]

I don't like the astronomical costs to the taxpayers to send a plane out to the middle of the ocean to rescue some dipsh!t who decided to spend a year of their life sailing around the world. Buy a PS3 if you're that bored.

As long as she capsizes out of Australian waters, hopefully we won't get the expense.....

If that was me, I'd hit the Fijian Islands, drop the anchor, say "Bula Bula", and get a Fiji Bitter into me......

[Thiele]

Good luck to her. I thought i herd a 14 year old boy will try and break the record next year

[Bully]

dont know and dont care. Whoopty friggen do if she sails or not got more important things to think about in the world today then some 16 year old, or however old she is sailing round the world.

So this post is evidence of how much you don't care, yet still cared enought to post it?

its called a public forum and i can post on any topic wether i care about it or dont and wether you care about my posts or like/dislike them. And the rest of the users that have posted on here that they dont really care??? wheres the comment on those???

[Dirko]

Good luck to her. I thought i herd a 14 year old boy will try and break the record next year

14 !

He'll run out of tissues by the time he hits Fiji......

[Psyber]

Good luck to her. I thought i herd a 14 year old boy will try and break the record next year

14 !
He'll run out of tissues by the time he hits Fiji......

And no doubt, somewhere, some parents are training their 8 year old...

[Farmy]

All the media whoring by her family and herself demands a cosmic reaction, like her getting kidnapped by pirates or something, and they take her back to their secret hide out in a cave, which is located on an paradise island and they sing pirate songs and then she marries the pirate king once she turns 20 then she has babies, the babies grow up and become pirates, but they all die because of the poor sailing genes they inherited from their mother.

The end.

[JAS]

Good luck to her. I thought i herd a 14 year old boy will try and break the record next year

Could this be the one you've heard about Thiele?

Full article here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8226196.stm

Dutch sailor girl put under care

A Dutch court has put a 13-year-old girl under state care for two months, stalling her bid to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world.

The decision by three Utrecht judges means Laura Dekker's parents, who support her plans, temporarily lose the right to make decisions about her.

A child psychologist will now assess her capacity to undertake the voyage.

Miss Dekker says she is happy with the ruling, but she will try to convince the authorities to let her set sail.

"I haven't had the same upbringing as so many other children," she told the Dutch television programme, NOS Jeugdjournaal, in her only comments after the ruling.

"Sailing has always played an important role in my upbringing and that's why I want to do this now," she added.

While I wish Jessica all the luck in the world I do reckon minimum age limits should be put on feats like this. It's only a matter of time before a child dies trying to break 'the youngest...' record for something.

Regards
JAS