Yachting FAIL - Jessica Watson

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by osirissail

For the Aussies reading - - maybe a decade or so ago the Australia government got tired of the professional "round the world" races wrecking or floundering at sea and the Aussie rescue ships would spend millions going out and rescuing these folks.

I remember reading that they actually welcomed the opportunity to have a go at rescuing a "Real" target and putting all their theory to the test instead of just chasing and rescuing inanimate yellow cans, which they do anyway.

It was only the clueless media and armchair sailors who felt it was a waste of taxpayers money, but llike the rescuers (navy) said, they are out there playing in ships and helicopters anyway, better to "waste" the funds rescuing real people instead of inanimate targets.

[sarafina]

It would seem to me that she IS considered an adult by law (in Oz) but again, it comes down to definitions.

with all due respect, **[k definitions. I live with a 16 year old, and am surrounded by her friends. We are the *cool* parents and thus the default house to gather at. These are sharp kids, with a lot on the ball, but they are not adults. They are in that nebulous place where they are made chemically stupid by their hormones and lack of maturity, even as their bodies and aspirations lead them into situations their commonsense and judgment making skills are no match for. I barely trust them to make brownies by themselves.

That would be why to be legally considered adults they would have to go thru a not inconsequential process to declare emancipation. Most children who do this do so because the horrors they live with at home do not come close to approaching the challenges and dangers of living as adults on their own. Courts evaluate carefully the skills and maturity levels of those who choose to go this route.

Jessica clearly has not demonstrated that she has the chops to do anything on her own. Every step of the way she has been shepherded by parents with questionable motives and now a larger body of corporate entities with an investment in the publicity this young pretty bright girl can garner for them. And there are no words truer than "there is no such thing as bad publicity". Don't think for one moment the Elle Bache folks are shaking their heads, wringing their hands with worry and wondering what they have gotten into. They are CELEBRATING in their board room. People who had NEVER hear of their brand now know them and their branded colour like the back of their hand.

sigh.

but she has a cute boat, doesn't she, so I guess it'll all be ok, right mate?

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by sarafina

but she has a cute boat, doesn't she, so I guess it'll all be ok, right mate?

And a bag of Ella bache makeup, don't forget that

Perhaps she can write HELP in big red lipstick letters on her forehead if required

[Bark]

Originally Posted by sarafina

Jessica clearly has not demonstrated that she has the chops to do anything on her own. Every step of the way she has been shepherded by parents with questionable motives and now a larger body of corporate entities with an investment in the publicity this young pretty bright girl can garner for them.

What exactly IS her level of experience? Neither her website nor her blog give anything except vague generalities about this.

For how many days/miles has she singlehanded a boat this size before in the open ocean?

Has she ever sailed in the Southern Ocean before?

[sarafina]

Don't confuse us with details, Bark, She's got a nifty web site and BRANDED merchandise and a pink boat fer god's sake. She has the god given ( an apparently parent approved) right to risk her fanny in whatever adventure seeking manner she chooses.

I wonder if she were planning on embarking on an 18 year odyssey of single handed solo parenthood we would be hearing so much about how 'Adult' she is... after all, biologically she is old enough to attempt that AS WELL...

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by sarafina

Don't confuse us with details, Bark, She's got a nifty web site and BRANDED merchandise and a pink boat fer god's sake. She has the god given ( an apparently parent approved) right to risk her fanny in whatever adventure seeking manner she chooses.

I wonder if she were planning on embarking on an 18 year odyssey of single handed solo parenthood we would be hearing so much about how 'Adult' she is... after all, biologically she is old enough to attempt that AS WELL...

Teehee Sarafina said Fanny

(different meaning of Fanny = your post is funnier over here )

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by sarafina

with all due respect, **[k definitions. I live with a 16 year old, and am surrounded by her friends. We are the *cool* parents and thus the default house to gather at. These are sharp kids, with a lot on the ball, but they are not adults. They are in that nebulous place where they are made chemically stupid by their hormones and lack of maturity, even as their bodies and aspirations lead them into situations their commonsense and judgment making skills are no match for. I barely trust them to make brownies by themselves.

Hi Sara,

I am sure that you are correct in assessing your kids and their friends. I personally think there has to be room to evaluate people individually.

I moved out when I was 15 years old and did an apprenticeship. I was always mature for my age. I paid rent and lived with other adult males who were not relatives or "big brothers." - would I have sailed around the world? Who knows but there was no one to stop me and I did all kinds of other stuff that I was ready and capable to do.

I went back to school, got a "real" job and eventually graduated from college. There are many paths in life and there are many states of readiness for life's challenges.

Having said that - I look at what she is actually posting and I do find it immature. I agree that she doesn't seem to focus on the real things or practicalities of what she is embarking on.

I also believe 100% that a lot of what has been posted on her site and a lot of what she will post on her site is directly related to who is paying her bills.

The only reason to mention make up products on an around the world voyage is because you are getting paid to mention them (or perhaps face cream is good at lubricating winches or sail tracks )

I wish her success, fair winds and a safe passage but I am sure she will not complete this adventure.

Fortunately it is not for me to decide if she can try or not.

[Factor]

Originally Posted by osirissail
For the Aussies reading - - maybe a decade or so ago the Australia government got tired of the professional "round the world" races wrecking or floundering at sea and the Aussie rescue ships would spend millions going out and rescuing these folks.

Ahem - its got little or nothing to do with whether we want to or not - as signatories to a range of international conventions, including some under the IMO, we are lawfully obligated to go to the aid of sailors in distress in our area, which is a bloody large part of the planet.

And yeh - the negative rubbish is a media beat up - its not like we werent spending money on those ships already. There was little or no real incremental cost.

[cooper]

...and to pay the bills requires......sponsorship !!

To succede you need to convince those with the dollars that you will have a positive effect on their business image and hopefully their bottom line. Sponsors employ boffins to carefull check the possible outcomes, and the possibility of failures. They do it a whole lot more carefully than arm chair internet sailors. Breaking records is the business of taking risks...I use those words on purpose. If there was no risk then anyone of us in silly cyber world could do it. ...untill it got to the stage that there was a risk and we would back out, and go back to our keyboards...
....I will say that word again RISK !
Perhaps a risk of taking a risk as a young person is that you will be derided by a group of people for being to young to take a risk.

after all.......

In their well meaning protecton you should settle back into a world of adolescent normality....you know the one....the normal teenage world that parents know what you are up too and you are doing what they say......and of course never taking any risks.....

[sneuman]

Originally Posted by cooper

...and to pay the bills requires......sponsorship !!

To succede you need to convince those with the dollars that you will have a positive effect on their business image and hopefully their bottom line. Sponsors employ boffins to carefull check the possible outcomes, and the possibility of failures. They do it a whole lot more carefully than arm chair internet sailors. Breaking records is the business of taking risks...I use those words on purpose. If there was no risk then anyone of us in silly cyber world could do it. ...untill it got to the stage that there was a risk and we would back out, and go back to our keyboards...
....I will say that word again RISK !
Perhaps a risk of taking a risk as a young person is that you will be derided by a group of people for being to young to take a risk.

after all.......

In their well meaning protecton you should settle back into a world of adolescent normality....you know the one....the normal teenage world that parents know what you are up too and you are doing what they say......and of course never taking any risks.....

And let's not forget that the sponsorship money probably won't be there when she's 18.

[Factor]

Originally Posted by sarafina

with all due respect, **[k definitions.

With all due respect - we in Australia tend to have to obey the law - we cant just make it up as we go along. Trust me - I have tried. Many is the time I thought F the speed limit etc etc, particularly on the bike but you know the legal definitions applied, its a bugger really.

I see you are from SF - I love that city - always found it to be such a happy and inviting place. Got friends in Los Altos area

You can have as many opinions as you want. You have the right to believe that she shouldn't do this thing, what people don't have the right to do is say that someone should stop her.

Its a freedom thing, god knows there is precious little of that left in most societies. I dont know about you - but the freedom thing is one of the key reasons I sail.

[CaptainMurph]

Here's the latest as of 10/14.

I've been following and will continue to write articles as more news is available.

She is expected to leave early next week.


Her's a link to my articles so far. Grand Rapids Sailing Examiner

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by CaptainMurph

Here's the latest as of 10/14.
I've been following and will continue to write articles as more news is available.
She is expected to leave early next week.

Her's a link to my articles so far. Grand Rapids Sailing Examiner

Greetings & welcome aboard the CF, Greg.

Just what I needed, another good periodical to add to my reading list.

[osirissail]

- - I would suggest that the definition of adult is not "numerical" age dependent but instead the age in your life when you have sufficiently scared yourself with near-death experiences to know what your limitations are and what the skill requirements are before you attempt to "do that again."
- - Maybe, maybe not - "more experienced" young people her age have failed in the non-stop around the world record attempt, not because of their skills or lack of skills but because the boat failed and they had to put into port for repairs. It happened to the British boy and he had a much more capable boat. I would bet the better chance of failure is centered on Jessica's boat rather than herself. Hopefully if that happens it will be in the higher latitudes rather than the southern oceans.

[osirissail]

I just found this at the Mike Perham website. He is the reigning (sort of, Guiness has his record under review) youngest solo around the world. He started as around solo non-stop but dropped to around solo assisted after he had to put into port for repairs.
- - -
Mike Perham - Youngest round the world
Highlights of Mike’s round the world record voyage

On 18th November 2008, 16-year-old Mike Perham set out to become the youngest person to sail around the world single-handed in his yacht, TotallyMoney.com. Mike battled on as TotallyMoney.com was knocked over, battered and damaged. His planned four month, non-stop circumnavigation became a 9 month odyssey full of technical and navigational challenges.

Repeated autopilot failures put Mike’s record attempt at risk, forcing him to stop for repairs in Portugal, Gran Canaria and Cape Town. After finally overcoming those problems, Mike crossed the Southern Indian Ocean in March, celebrating his 17th birthday enroute, but was forced to stop again in Tasmania and then Aukland after serious rudder problems emerged.

Horrendous weather in the Southern Ocean saw Mike surfing down 50 foot waves in 50 knot winds at speeds up to 28 knots. TotallyMoney.com was knocked down and damaged forcing Mike to make emergency repairs up the mast and pushing him much farther North than he originally intended.

I think the original question of this thread is do we think Jessica is prepared and able to handle these conditions? Or is she even cognizant of what she is likely going to encounter?