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**Tellie** · 13-09-2009, 13:59

Hey look! Another mature for her age 13 year old girl. Even her mom agrees and gives written permision to do what she wants.

Moms accused of man-girl date pact -- Page 1 -- Times Union - Albany NY:1129:

Sorry I couldn't help it. This will probably earn me a few board demerits.

osirissail · 13-09-2009, 16:12

Only goes to the question as to determining who is more mature, the 13y.o. or the 38y.o. mother. Anyway back to the 13 y.o. Laura Dekker - sailor - it was reported prominently in the UK news that both the mother and the father tried to talk Laura out of doing the trip initially. But western modern parents are wooshes when it comes to saying - flat No.
- - Also Laura made a crossing of the English Channel by herself and got the UK officials all bound up in their britches trying to figure out what to do with her. The father told them to tell her to sail back home. But the Brit's didn't want to do that so the father flew over and accompanied her back across the Channel. In the UK news story they quoted the current 17y.o. solo around the world holder, Mike Perham, who started his round the world journey as a 16y.o. and returned as a 17y.o.
- - Anyway he couldn't understand what the fuss was about with Laura - after all he crossed the Atlantic Ocean solo - by himself - when he was 14y.o. and nobody made a stink. Maybe? a little sexism here?

S/V Illusion · 13-09-2009, 16:25

glad to see you guys still debating the blatantly obvious

**Pblais** · 13-09-2009, 17:54

Quote:

Well the fools are the people who promote and back up these children. Even those that offer their tacit support in these threads

I'm afraid that is the limit. When a sponsor has one die it might just end. I hate to see it but it's coming. Records about the youngest may soon fall to the dumbest. Who wants to be the dumbest person in the world to complete a circumnavigation. We still might have shortest or fattest left as well.

The bigger question is what is the limit sponsors will pay for? These kids don't make this kind of money delivering the Rocky Mountain News. This is not something they can do on their own. At some point it's just rail meat for media exploitation as it clearly isn't a solo operation any more. I'm not sure just what it is. It's clearly not important.

I've got a really smart Welsh Pembroke Corgi that I think could do it if I could only find a sponsor. One and a half years old and it would be a great record. Send pictures of the boat to my PM mailbox. She likes dry dog food too so there is a food angle to it as well.

c-kow · 17-10-2009, 12:59

Court bans teen sailor Laura Dekker from record-breaking voyage - Times Online

this is old news that I'm sure everyone has heard, however, there doesn't seem to be a thread about it.

Is Dekker too young?

c-kow · 22-10-2009, 10:39

I like her attitude a bit better

sabray · 22-10-2009, 11:04

My 8 year old sons attitude is even better. Hey buddy would you like to take the boat out for a spin around the world solo unsupervised with a wii and all the cheese puffs you can eat? NO WAY Dad. (me) Even if Viagra sponsors us and paints the boat your favorite color. (son) Dad can we play some catch.
Oh yeah and hes got cooler parents.
I have the conversation recorded in case when hes 10 he gets some crazy idea.Of course if he really wanted to go Id feal real bad standing in his way. You know better to let them chase a dream and die then have a dream and let a parent put a stump in it.

c-kow · 22-10-2009, 13:01

just let him take the corsair and he'll circumnavigate in about two weeks

sabray · 22-10-2009, 13:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by c-kow

just let him take the corsair and he'll circumnavigate in about two weeks

thats what I was thinking. Then I would be the proud dad of a son with a record holding attempt at the youngest and most hulls.
With the viagra sponsorship and his odds. I would probably escape without ever seeing a college tuition.
Gotta go play catch