For many of us sailing novices, taking a beginners sailing course at our local sailing school is the limit of our sailing experience. The thought of sailing long distances might scare us, the truth is that professional sailors sail around the world all the time and most of these individuals do it solo. Sailing solo is exactly that – taking to the seas by yourself and battling the treacherous waters with no one else to help you. As professional sailors become younger and younger, there are individuals who are still in their teen years that hope to complete the challenging and daunting task of sailing around the world on a solo mission.
Lately there has been much controversy in the sailing world as a handful of young teenagers have spoken up in the hope of doing a solo sail around the world. This debate continues to heat up, with some teenagers already circumnavigating the globe alone. The spotlight is directed towards the parents of these individuals who are questioned for their parenting skills.
Recently, 16 year old Jessica Watson embarked on her solo sailing journey, even though government authorities warned her against it. Jessica as well as other young ambitious sailors have sparked much controversy as to whether individuals this young should be allowed to participate in such a life changing challenge when they are at such a vulnerable age.
Another sailor that is hoping to take to the seas as soon is Abby Sunderland. Her older brother, Zac, recently completed a solo sailing adventure and now their mother is about to say goodbye to another child for nearly a year. 16 year old Abby is soon to embark on an unassisted non-stop voyage and if she succeeds, she will be the youngest person in the world to do so. Recently, Abby and her mother were interviewed by CNN about her solo sail and in it they reveal their fears and excitement about her upcoming voyage. Abby says that she is aware that there will be a possibility of dying, but she says that that is “a risk any solo sailor has to take”
Some government officials seem to not be open to the idea of teenagers sailing solo around the world and have taken action. 13 year old Laura Dekker was recently held under two months of supervision owing to the fact that authorities refused to let her circumnavigate the globe alone.
While many feel that age is the contributing factor, others believe that experience, physical and mental strength will help them in their sailing solo adventure.
Related Posts
No related posts.