Jessica Watson to Set Sail on Sunday, 18 October 2009
Teenage Adventurer to Sail Out of Sydney Harbour to Start Her Amazing Journey
Jessica's route and the rules for her voyage are noted on her Web site.
Since writing my previous article - Jessica Watson - Aussie Girl to Sail Solo Around the World - some pertinent facts have come to my attention. So much was made in the press recently about Jessica's attempt to break the record of fellow Australian Jesse Martin. This turned out to be incorrect reporting. The truth is that Jesse Martin was never the youngest person to sail solo around the world. That honor, at the time, belonged to David Dicks OAM from Western Australia, who achieved the record on 17 November 1996 (Recorded Age: 18 years, 41 days). Jesse Martin has not corrected the inaccuracy reported many times in the press over the years since his voyage. Even so, his feat was remarkable for a young man then aged only 18 years and 66 days.
It was almost 13 years before the record set by David Dicks was broken by American Zac Sunderland on 16 July 2009 (Recorded age: 17 years, 230 days). Just over a month later, UK sailor, Mike Perham broke Sunderland's record on 27 August 2009 (Recorded Age: 17 years, 164 days).
It is interesting to note that each of the records set since 1970 were in yachts of varying sizes:
Robin Lee Graham (USA) - Yacht - Dove (24ft)/Return of Dove (33ft) - set the record on 30 April 1970 (Recorded Age: 21 years, 56 days)
Brian (BJ) Caldwell (USA) - Yacht - 26ft sloop - broke Graham's record on 20 September 1996 (Recorded Age: 20 years)
David Dicks (AUS)- Yacht - Seaflight (34ft)
Zac Sunderland (USA)- Yacht - Intrepid (36ft)
Mike Perham (UK) -Yacht - totallymoney.com (50ft)
These records show a wide variation in yacht size, and in the case of Robin Lee Graham, he used two vessels to achieve his record (Dove and Return of Dove) due to damage to his first vessel. However, the size of the determination and courage of each of these intrepid sailors cannot be measured.
Jessica Watson must surely be buoyed by the comments of her knockers. It doesn't take a psychology degree to know that the type of criticism Jess has had to endure since her "freighter incident" would be a boost to her mental preparation. This courageous young woman is not attempting this feat because she is a "silly little girl with an unrealistic dream". She is obviously a mentally tough, technically competent and fiercely determined person with a worthwhile goal in life.
Jessica has gone quietly about her preparation in the midst of criticism and speculation in a dignified way. Why would she want to let the thoughts and words of pessimistic strangers affect the lead-up to her departure?
None of the men who became the youngest solo circumnavigators would have done so without incidents, serious or otherwise. What they did was to demonstrate courage, determination and the ability to achieve their goals. Only they would know exactly how Jessica is feeling right now and how she will feel when she returns home triumphant.
If Jessica can complete her solo circumnavigation before she reaches the age of 17on 18 May 2010, it will indeed be an amazing accomplishment. To be fair to Jessica, she has until age 17 years and 163 days to break Mike Perham's record.
I am sure I am not the only person who wishes Jessica safe sailing on the remarkable journey that will take her around the world and back to Sydney in record breaking time.
Sources:
David Dicks OAM
http://youngestsolocircumnavigators.com/youngest.html
Published by Susan Jane
I am an Australian professional writer with with 28 years of commercial experience. In 2003, I became full-time carer for my mother (now 91) who has a form of dementia. I was recently appointed as a Featured... View profile
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26 Comments
Post a CommentMore page love (commented on this great piece before)
....perhaps Jesse Martins mum could apologise for him....
Finally we see truth in reporting and fact! Sure Jessie Martin sailed around the world and was young but it shows the strength in good media manipulation, he was NEVER the youngest. David Dicks was, then beaten 13 years later by Zac Sunderland and soon after he was topped by Mike Perham. The fact that Guiness refused to publish Martins record is a testiment of the truth. Come on Jessie face up and take it on the chin and set the record straight, you were never the youngest and your story is well worn out .....the truth is out there my friend.
Warranted%2Cunassisted%2C great capes etc... why dont we just add different yacht categories and rig set ups%2C nationalities%2C genders... where will it end%3F A 40 year old hermaphrodite claiming to be the youngest solo hermaphrodite circumnavigator%3F It is a poor individual who can not face facts. Martin has NEVER BEEN THE YOUNGEST%21 You really hold on to this unassisted%2C non stop%2C great capes%2C etc... dont you. I pity you. You are saying that Jessica Watson is doing this for no reason because she is not rounding Douth-West Cape of New Zealands Stewart Island. Grow up. Remember the word %22youngest%22%3F You show us that you are owed no credit. Please save us from anymore of your irresponsible and unfounded comments
Warranted unassisted%2C great capes etc... also lets add different yacht categories and rig set-ups%2C nationalities and genders%2C where will it end...%3F A 40 yr old hermaphrodite claiming to be the youngest solo hermaphrodite circumnavigator%3F It is a poor individual who can not face facts%2C Martin has NEVER BEEN THE YOUNGEST%21 You really hold on to this unassisted%2C non-stop%2C great capes%2C etc.. dont you. I pity you. You are saying that Jessica Watson is doing this for no reason because she is not rounding South-West Cape of New Zealands Stewart Island. Grow up. Remember the word %27youngest%27%27%3F You show us that you are owed no credit. Please save us from anymore of your irresponsible and unfounded comments. %0D%0A
There is only one category:
"solo, non-stop, unassisted, via the Great Capes"
anything thereafter is a failure to achieve that.
spell check...jesse, not jessica...my bad
I agree, its quite simpl. Jessica has NEVER been the youngest, FULL STOP!!
Hey "My Name' you can't leave out the youngest, that's what this is all about!! You are really clutching at straws now. David Dicks was younger, and then Zac Sunderland beat David Dicks 13 years later, Mike Perham then later beat Zac Sunderland a few months after that!
I mean honestly how many categories is there going to be?? maybe I should be the youngest solo circumnavigator with a moustache, I was under the belief the whole idea of this challenge was to be the 'youngest' not 'youngest categorised' how far will this go?
CASE CLOSED apologise Jesse Martin, apologise
Unassisted, non-stop, solo circumnavigation via the Greate Capes is the "holy grail" of sailing. Leave out youngest for now. This is the hardest (toughest) challenge to any sailor of any age. There's even a tougher catagory before that. Doing it East to West against the winds and currents.
Anything less than this is "easier".
Jesse Martin is the youngest to have completed a solo non-stop unassisted via the Great Capes world circumnavigation.
This so-called catagory with or without age factor existed long before Jesse Martin arrived on the scene.
David Dicks was trying for this toughest challenge of them all when he accepted that bold and was "disqualified"
He's therefore the youngest to solo circumnavigate non-stop via the Great Capes but with assistance.
It goes without saying there would be another catagory after his, that would be with stops via the Great Capes.
The route around the Great Capes is the factor that makes these 4 the hardest.
Mike Perham set ou