Laura Dekker, 13, Wants To Be The Youngest Person To Solo Circumnavigate

[Seafarer]

The Dutch government wants to block 13-year-old Laura Dekker from sailing around the world.

[atavist]

yeesh, will it never end...

I'm waiting for some millionaire to put a 2 year old on a remote controlled boat and send them around the world.... Youngest person to circumnavigate!!...

It really chaps my fanny the way legitimate records are allowed to be superceded these days by people performing similar feats with the support of modern technology... it's like the guy who did the resent trip from the headwaters of the Amazon to the Atlantic... this is something I've been contemplating for years... 6000k of "green hell", oh but it's been done now... but most articles leave out the fact that the guy did it with the financial support of sponsors on an inflatable catamaran super boat and had his supplies air-dropped to him as he went... I mean COME ON!...

same with these modern sailing feets... I think they need to strike the records of, or set up as their own category for, all feats accomplished with technology that provides an advantage over their predecessors...

I'll be impressed when a 13 year old does a solo circumnavigation with a sextant and a clock... till then kids like this fall in with all the other narcicistic cheating trust-fund-babies.... with retarted parents!

ugh... ok... sorry for such a negative post, but crap like this is one of my pet peaves (obviously)

[Nausikaa]

I agree with the last speaker!

I agree not so much because I have anything against the modern toys and sponsorship. Most of those who acomplished great things in the past had the latest technology too - even if we have taken it many steps further.

I think this young girl and her parents should be stopped because:

1. I question her ability to get out of trouble if and when things start going seriously wrong.

2. I question her possible state of mind after days alone not to mention the issues of puberty and adolescence

3. Because I, with over 40 years of experience of the sea as a professional navigator, yachtsman and coastguard, would not undertake such a venture lightly.

Having got that off my chest, if she is allowed to start this voyage I wish her nothing but good fortune.

Aye // Stephen

[JeanneP]

This is a child! *She cannot legally drive an automobile, she cannot sign a legal contract, in most if not all developed countries she cannot get married without the permission of her parents, but she can take a boat alone around the world? *The most horrifying part of this is all the people cheering her on who haven't got a CLUE just how difficult this is! *The foolishness of this is nauseating.

The girl's parents are divorced and as far as I am concerned their agenda has nothing to do with the well-being of this young girl. *The father is an experienced sailor - that does not mean he is an experienced blue water sailor of voyager. * Ken Barnes was more experienced that this child, and was physically stronger that this girl, and he had to bail. *What are these people thinking?

Bah!

[Lighthouse]

It makes me angry - it is all about money!

[Nausikaa]

The issue is now resolved, for a couple of months at least.

"A Dutch court has put a 13-year-old girl under state care for two months, stalling her bid to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world.

The decision by three Utrecht judges means Laura Dekker's parents, who support her plans, temporarily lose the right to make decisions about her.

A child psychologist will now assess her capacity to undertake the voyage. "

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8226196.stm

[Aquaria]

Just heard in the news that a departure date was set to September 1st.

So it will be an ill project right from the beginning, it shows clearly that not a "skipper" is setting the date of departure and choosing a better time to cross the Bay of Biscay.

An experienced skipper might have read:

"Towards the end of the summer the frequency of gales increases and more attention to the forecasts should be paid from the middle of August to the end of September when some of the most violent storms have been recorded" (Cornell, World Cruising Routes).

All the cautious yachtsmen we know try to make the Biscay befor the end of August. But obviously these parents in collaboration with the media and sponsors set other criteria for the departure date that does not have anything to do with good seamanship.

I am sure glad that the dutch authorities try everything to prevent this stupid journey.

This has nothing to do with real sailing and setting records in sports!

Uwe

Sy Aquaria

[Lighthouse]

Originally Posted by Aquaria

This has nothing to do with real sailing and setting records in sports!

Uwe

Sy Aquaria

I repeat - it's all about money!

[redbopeep]

1. The parents have clearly no real sense of their duties to protect and nurture this child. Exploiting her isn't good parenting.

2. I've never understood people who go out there and try to break records which are what I call "administrative records" I mean, it's one thing to try and run the fastest mile or make the fastest circumnavigation, etc. It's another thing to make a record simply because of age or another criteria having nothing to do with the feat itself. I put all records in two classes: those which are "real" and are typically such that the same person or team could try and beat their own record over time, improving in some way; and those which are "administrative" which means they're "interesting" but don't really mean a whole lot.

Children are often thrust into doing something heroic by circumstance--and frequently rise to the occasion in a spectacular manner. They're so inexperienced that they don't have a clue that they aren't supposed to be able to do something or that something would be too dangerous or that they could die doing it. Many children want to go off and have adventure that is frequently high risk--the parents with good sense, though, step in and say "no" and that's the end of what could be a tragedy.

I'm glad that this girl has the gumption and drive to want to take on this adventure. I hope that she approaches all things in life in this way--we'll be hearing about her in the future if that is the case. If she does indeed take off on a solo cruise, I wish her the best of luck. For her parents--shame on them is all I can say.

Fair winds,

[keona]

This is another Donald Crowhurst in the making here, he was not experienced either and he went out and lost his mind and killed himself, and I would say he was more able to do it than this little girl is. maybe she needs to see the movie (Deep water) ?

[redbopeep]

Originally Posted by keona

This is another Donald Crowhurst in the making here, he was not experienced either and he went out and lost his mind and killed himself, and I would say he was more able to do it than this little girl is. maybe she needs to see the movie (Deep water) ?

Ummm...I don't think things are that extreme. I just think that it takes a lot of strength and skill as well as endurance to do this. A child isn't really suited to such things. She may be physiologically sound for it, regardless of adolescent hormones raging, but just not physically capable of it.

[teejay]

Most definately NOT.