Laura Dekker's Circumnavigation

[deckofficer]

I couldn't help but notice all the folks who post on this thread about both Laura and Jessica have their facts straight. I guess I'm not needed, lol

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Ozbullwinkle

1. Jessica Watson did not make a "quick buck" by selling her boat. Are you aware that she turned down an offer of more than $1 million from an American buyer?

2. Jessica's circumnavigation was non stop.

3. Laura's voyage included several stops and island hopping where she was able to get refreshed and meet up with family & support crew and was nowhere near as gruelling both from a mental & physical aspect as a non stop circumnavigation including the Southern Ocean. She even flew home in the middle of the voyage to speak at a boat show and at other engagements.

4. The route followed by Laura cannot be compared to that followed by Jessica. Yeah, Laura may now be the youngest circumnavigator but the challenge was nowhere near as tough.

As you will note my very first comment was to congratulate Laura so I give credit where it is due but let's be fair here as we are not comparing apples with apples.

Regardless your congratulations , your reaction here is typical for a nation that just saw a record lost and move to another. Better deal with it instead of talk it down

Laura has never claimed to do it non-stop, just to be the youngest. She also showed much more seamanship and skill than any sailing teenager before her. She also sailed more miles and had more fun.

You ain't much if you aren't Dutch... hooray Laura!

p.s. Jessica should have sold her boat for usd 1mil! How can anybody not see a deal as good as that one! Being Dutch I'm sure Laura will sell it in a flash for that kind of money!

ciao!
Nick.

[downunder]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Regardless your congratulations , your reaction here is typical for a nation that just saw a record lost and move to another. Better deal with it instead of talk it down

Laura has never claimed to do it non-stop, just to be the youngest. She also showed much more seamanship and skill than any sailing teenager before her. She also sailed more miles and had more fun.

You ain't much if you aren't Dutch... hooray Laura!

p.s. Jessica should have sold her boat for usd 1mil! How can anybody not see a deal as good as that one! Being Dutch I'm sure Laura will sell it in a flash for that kind of money!

ciao!
Nick.

She could then get a Sundeer.

[Ozbullwinkle]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Regardless your congratulations , your reaction here is typical for a nation that just saw a record lost and move to another. Better deal with it instead of talk it down

Laura has never claimed to do it non-stop, just to be the youngest. She also showed much more seamanship and skill than any sailing teenager before her. She also sailed more miles and had more fun.

You ain't much if you aren't Dutch... hooray Laura!

p.s. Jessica should have sold her boat for usd 1mil! How can anybody not see a deal as good as that one! Being Dutch I'm sure Laura will sell it in a flash for that kind of money!

ciao!
Nick.

A nation that has just lost a record who needs to deal with it? - there is nothing to deal with. Jessica's circumnavigation was nonstop in far more treacherous waters and still holds that record. She did roll several times in 80 knot winds you know or maybe you don't.

But you say that Laura showed much more seamanship and skill than any sailing teenager before her. Don't know how you determine this & make this claim. Seems very subjective to me but I'm not taking anything away from Laura's sailing skills but her skills are no better than any of the other teenagers who preceded her.

Laura is now the youngest - yawn. Where will it end. I'm just thankfull that they have all made it but there must be a limit as you would agree and I don't look forward to the day when some poor kid doesn't come back.

Jessica knocked back the $1m USD as she wanted her boat to stay in Australia which was a commendable thing to do. She will make plenty of money as a professional sailor in the future following the likes of Ellen MacArthur & Dee Cafari.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by downunder

She could then get a Sundeer.

And put the rest on an bank account if she can find a bank that can be trusted with it

ciao!
Nick.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Ozbullwinkle

Jessica's circumnavigation was nonstop in far more treacherous waters and still holds that record. She did roll several times in 80 knot winds you know or maybe you don't.

Come-on, don't be so sore. This is Laura's thread and she just took the record. Laura and Dutch sailors in general respect Jessica too, no worries and no need to talk down Laura's circumnavigation, but now it's Laura's turn; hope you understand.

ciao!
Nick.

[downunder]

Both fine smart young women and great sailor's.

[deckofficer]

Originally Posted by downunder

She could then get a Sundeer.

The way she pushed the 33 year old Gin Fizz, leaving a port with a small group of other boats at 5~10 times the price and reaching landfall hours to days ahead the others, I couldn't imagine what she would have done in a Sundeer? Visions of 300 nm days. Remember, this is a sailor that would always go out for a sail in heavy weather "just to see what the boat can do".

[David M]

Yes. it's a great achievement that will make her lots of money but how much younger will they get before a tragedy occurs?

Is there a practical age limit or should they just keep getting younger?

[deckofficer]

If they are the 1 in a million like Laura, I think she could have done it just fine at 13, the age she wanted to sail, and in her Hurley 800. It would always be a case by case situation, problem is, government agencies don't know squat about sailing prowess.

[Ozbullwinkle]

Originally Posted by David M

Yes. it's a great achievement that will make her lots of money but how much younger will they get before a tragedy occurs?

Is there a practical age limit or should they just keep getting younger?

David - my thoughts exactly as echoed in my post above.

Jedi - No worries, we'll just agree to disagree about Laura "taking the record"

Yes, this is Laura's thread and I had not posted on it before but Hirophants comments needed a reply which is why I responded.

[avb3]

Originally Posted by MacG

Ouderdom means: age
Goedgedaan: Well done!

Afrikaans is Dutch from the 16th, 17th and 18th century. After that the language started to become a separate language with still the same idiom as the Dutch.
When the Dutch lost their seapower (see discussions of JEDI) the English wrangled the Kaap-provincies away from the Boers/Dutch, the Afrikaanders.
That resulted in the Boer-War after they took Oranje-vrijstaat.
England had a surplus of men and there were only a few thousand Boers.
Any Afrikaander can read and understand Dutch and vice versa.

I used to go out with a girl who emigrated to Canada from SA; as most kids in school, she had to learn both English and Afrikaans.

Interesting thing is that if she spoke slowly, I understood most of what she had to say (I was born in Germany). On the other hand I don't understand Dutch, even spoken slowly.

And yes, she could understand Dutch, and most of my German.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by deckofficer

The way she pushed the 33 year old Gin Fizz, leaving a port with a small group of other boats at 5~10 times the price and reaching landfall hours to days ahead the others, I couldn't imagine what she would have done in a Sundeer? Visions of 300 nm days. Remember, this is a sailor that would always go out for a sail in heavy weather "just to see what the boat can do".

ha! She was aboard Jedi for a Dutch dinner when she passed here so she already had a good look at the boat Would be the 3rd Dutch Sundeer ...

Yes, 300nm days are possible but that is not average. With her sailing style and luck with the wind, she can count on 250 nm days though, which is well under hull speed. I think she'd do well on Beowulf too, which is known for 380nm days...


ciao!
Nick.

[justwaiting]

I think that its good if she moves to NZ, cause that means that she will end up in Bondi or the Gold Coast. Australian will soon claim her as their own (as they do with all sucessful migrants) then will have both of those fine sailos (who happen to be both young and female) and their respective achivements to skite about.

[deckofficer]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

ha! She was aboard Jedi for a Dutch dinner when she passed here so she already had a good look at the boat Would be the 3rd Dutch Sundeer ...

Yes, 300nm days are possible but that is not average. With her sailing style and luck with the wind, she can count on 250 nm days though, which is well under hull speed. I think she'd do well on Beowulf too, which is known for 380nm days...


ciao!
Nick.

Nick,

When aboard Jedi, did she at least dab the drool from her mouth? I know the Sundeer (conditions permitting) can do 250 nm days, but if anyone deserves the middle name of "over canvas", it would be Laura "over canvas" Dekker.