Jessica Watson is taking on the challenge of the many sailors before her, to sail solo, non-stop, unassisted across the world’s oceans. She is not the first youth to sail across the world, in fact, there are numerous other sailors such as Zac Sunderland and Michael Perham who sailed before they turned 18. Jessica is going one step further, by doing the challenging sail earlier and longer than the sailors before her. She is planning on finishing her sail sometimes mid-May this year. I’ll keep you updated.
Here is her awesome journey so far:
Watson sailed out of Sydney Harbour on 18 October, 2009
On 13 January 2010 she passed Cape Horn, having sailed around 9,800 nm in 87 days. This was 11 days ahead of the planned 100 nm per day schedule. Soon after her parents flew over her in a small plane in order to witness the passage.
On 23 January 2010, several days after passing the Falkland Islands, she suffered four knock-downs in a severe storm with 10-metre waves and 70-knot winds. The storm caused minor damage to her boat and her emergency beacon was accidentally activated as the mast hit the water.
On 25 January 2010, her 100th day at sea, she passed the halfway point on her voyage, 11,500 nm based on the original calculation of 23,000 nm sailing route.
On 15 February 2010, she crossed the Prime Meridian, crossing from the Western Hemisphere to the Eastern Hemisphere.
On February 24, Watson passed the Cape of Good Hope and reached Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of Africa, crossing from the Atlantic Ocean into the Indian Ocean.
From southern Africa, Watson sailed more than 5000nm towards Western Australia.
On 10 April, Watson arrived to the Australian economic zone. There her parents and media flew over her in a small plane in order to welcome her.
On 12 April, Watson passed Cape Leeuwin in southwestern Australia. She has approximately 2,500nm remaining as she sails south of Tasmania and returns to Sydney to complete her circumnavigation.
She is expected to complete her journey early May, well ahead of schedule, and shortly before her seventeenth birthday.
To learn about Jessica, visit her website.
Correction: Zac and Michael did solo but NOT non-stop and unassisted. The youngest sailor to have done it was Jesse Martin.
Thanks