Jessica Watson, the 16-year-old Queenslander who caused controversy when she hit a bulk carrier on her first night at sea alone, has left Sydney to attempt to be the youngest person to sail solo and unassisted around the world.
Despite a stinging criticism of her preparationns by Queensland maritime authorities, and entreaties from experienced yachtsmen such as Andrew Copes, a successful Volvo Round World campaigner, for her to delay the trip until she had gained more experienced, Jessica could not be deterred in her quest.
Jessica will head into the North Pacific to cross the equator, around Cape Horn at the tip of South America and the Cape of Good Hope south of Africa, then sail the final leg of 4,000 nautical miles across the Indian Ocean back to Australia.
