Jessica Watson's Round-the-World Voyage

[rover88]

I must wonder what Jessica's detractors were doing age the age of sixteen? I know damn well none were sailing around the world (or Antartica for that matter). Further, how many people - sailors or otherwise - have ever heard of the "sanctioning organization" denying her a record? Or the name of the twit who says she fell short of mileage? Quite a few more folks now know Jessica Watson's name. Good going Jess!!

[surfingminniwinni]

Originally Posted by rover88

I must wonder what Jessica's detractors were doing age the age of sixteen? I know damn well none were sailing around the world (or Antartica for that matter). Further, how many people - sailors or otherwise - have ever heard of the "sanctioning organization" denying her a record? Or the name of the twit who says she fell short of mileage? Quite a few more folks now know Jessica Watson's name. Good going Jess!!

Very well put Rover, I wish I could have articulated it like you.

I'm now going against all my principles, and installing a digital set top box in my boat. I can't make it to Sydney, but at least I can watch it on TV! I blame Jessica of course!!!!!!

[dcstrng]

Originally Posted by surfingminniwinni

why do the Monday Morning Quaterback persist?

The Americas Cup credentialing/litigation circus comes to the world of solo circumnavigators – oh joy…

[Hirophant]

I just found a very interesting comment that was posted to a yachtpals article about the controversy over Zac Sunderland's "record" in July last year. I think it sheds some light on the thinking behind Jessica's journey: note reference to Kay Cottee's journey length! (This is an excerpt - to read the comment in full, see the original article.)

Originally Posted by ''Don M.'' Australia

Jesse Martin was accepted for a WSSR "preformance certificate" at the time, but since then , the WSSR Council have a policy of not ratifying youngest claims or attempts, full stop.
...
Kay Cottee did a short Circimnavigation, Jesse Martin a long one, David Dicks different again, so too Robin Lee Graham, Mike Perham, Tania Aebi , Jon Saunders....Jessica is sailing a similar voyage concept to Kay Cottee, two hemispheres , all Meridians of Long. and over 21,600 miles, but as a good friend I will advise her to simply claim an attempt at the first "voyage" around the world by a " Young Human" and " without passengers or other crew", in the first "PINK " yacht under 34ft 1inch but over 33ft 11 inches that, leaves Sydney on a specific date in Sept 2009.
...
They are all great people doing great things and popular opinion in the press can and does set new popular contemporary catagories and not every aspect of a voyage needs to be defined.

Note: Don McIntyre is currently on his Bounty Boat voyage so he may be unaware of the controversy that has arisen over his protégé's record.

[SvenG]

I haven't seen any public statements from Jesse Martin re. Jessica's short circumnavigation. I keep seeing mentions about him being there to welcome Jessica home along with Mike Perham. While Mike has been quoted in several news stories none of the stories that I have read include quotes by Jesse.

Is he just a more private person ?

Edit: I just found this news clip http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/s...en-sailor.html :

Among the thousands expected to greet the returning wanderer will be fellow Australian Jesse Martin, who keeps the official record he set in 1999 when he circumnavigated the earth solo and unassisted aged 18.

The World Speed Sailing Council has ruled that Watson needed to sail 1,500 nautical miles above the equator, rather than just bob above it, to grab Martin's record.

The team that has shielded Watson from media outlets other than her sponsors maintain she was never gunning for a place in the record books - even though the sponsors themselves were told when they signed up that the Queenslander intended to take Martin's title.

So maybe all the parties are just trying to keep the earlier claims from surfacing and marring the homecoming.


-Sven

[Hirophant]

Have the World Speed Sailing Council really made any such ruling or even offered an official opinion? The article doesn't sound very authoritative to me. Take for instance

Originally Posted by earthtimes article

Perham stopped for repairs and so could not claim his voyage to be unassisted, but his website still claims him to be the youngest circumnavigator - a feat he says is endorsed by the Guinness Book of Records.

"Says?" Couldn't they even be bothered to check whether or not it actually was endorsed by Guinness? It doesn't take much effort to establish that it was.

Meanwhile, on the "fantasy voyage" front, I've now found the perfect voyage Jess could have taken, and it doesn't require her sailing 1500nm North of the Equator! She could have done 21600nm Great Circle by going Sydney — SW Cape New Zealand — Oahu Island, Hawaii — Cape Horn, and the rest as before. The attraction of this route is it takes in all five great capes whilst still crossing the Equator in the relatively benign Pacific, but avoids approaching Cape Horn from the North (bad from the wind POV) as was needed by Abby's or my previously suggested Guadalupe Island route. In short, this is a traditional great capes route, with the single point of detour officially being between NZ and Cape Horn.

[slomotion]

Well, the north coast of Oahu must be pretty close to 1500 nm north of the equator. But, it's an interesting route. I don't think anyone has done anything quite like it nonstop before.

[SvenG]

Originally Posted by slomotion

Well, the north coast of Oahu must be pretty close to 1500 nm north of the equator.

Given that it is 21 degrees and 43 minutes North that would be 21*60 + 43 which is 1303 NM, unless my arithmetic is off.

Looks like a nice route ... time to pack up and become the most median aged circumnavigator !


-Sven

[Jim D]

Originally Posted by SvenG

Looks like a nice route ... time to pack up and become the most median aged circumnavigator !
-Sven

Well, just be cautioned beforehand: Median-aged circumnavigations are no longer recognized, as to do so might foster mid-life crises, and disrupt families, and thus tear at the very fabric of modern society as defined by such august and otherwise irreproachable bodies as WSSRC and, even Sail-World.

I am sure of this lack of recognition for your well-meaning attempted voyage, because I read about it on the World Wide Web.

Oh, wait, I mean - I wrote it on the world wide web.


~

[sec906]

Jessica will complete her voyage in about 12 hours.

[rover88]

Many thousands of people are expected to attend Jessica's homecoming tomorrow, some flying in to Sydney for the event. Many more tens of thousands will be following the event on the tely or internet.

There will be more porta-potties on hand than the total historical membership of the WSSRC.

Score:
Jessica Watson = 1
WSSRC & Detractors = 0

[RichardInMd]

Check out this story to see how it all came from Jessica, the PR people came later

Brave Jessica's achievements 'no surprise'

What a little ripper!

Richard

[GeoPowers]

Anyone know of a website that has video to watch her pull into Sydney?

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by GeoPowers

Anyone know of a website that has video to watch her pull into Sydney?

Presumably you mean as-it-happens, George - the after-the-fact video will probably be widely available onliine, including her website. I would guess that probably all of the local Sydney television stations will be carrying the event live, but whether or not any of them are live-streaming, I don't know.

You could Google for those stations, visit their sites and see.

TaoJones

[SvenG]

Interesting theory about why she didn't do the last 10% needed for the record:

Kothe, who said Watson's sailing has been admirable -- particularly in light of the knockdowns in the difficult Southern Ocean -- speculated Watson's route was chosen with time and safety in mind. He noted a September accident during training delayed her trip, and that to make a mild-weather window at Cape Horn, which came after the equator crossing, she needed to get to the cape when she did. "From a parental point of view, the route is pretty valid," he said.

That was from Girl, 16, shrugs off controversy as she ends global sail - CNN.com

Sounds like a good/safe/sensible reason to me and would also explain why the sponsors and everyone else initially thought she was going after the record.



-Sven