Abby Sunderland - SoloRound

[Ex-Calif]

Please consider this a friendly bit of advice for this thread.

Everyone on CF pretty much knows how everyone else feels about ages for rtw, solo sailing. There is a high risk that this thread is the same debate with a different name.

I encourage everyone to talk about Abby's RTW effort but we aren't interested to repeat the "should she go debate."

Thanks!

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

I encourage everyone to talk about Abby's RTW effort but we aren't interested to repeat the "should she go debate."

Thanks!

Dan thats going to happen each time as these kids get younger. Its nothing to do with the rtw effort....

[slomotion]

I agree that the "should she go at all" debate has been exhausted. However, the "should she go as planned" question is different. As I understand it, the "plan" is:

1. Set off RTW from California in November in a boat that was purchased yesterday.

2. The boat is in R.I. and will be sailed from there to Florida.

3. From Florida the boat will be shipped to California where it will be made ready for the voyage.

Hmmm .................

[sneuman]

Originally Posted by slomotion

I agree that the "should she go at all" debate has been exhausted. However, the "should she go as planned" question is different. As I understand it, the "plan" is:

1. Set off RTW from California in November in a boat that was purchased yesterday.

2. The boat is in R.I. and will be sailed from there to Florida.

3. From Florida the boat will be shipped to California where it will be made ready for the voyage.

Hmmm .................

So, just like Jessica, she is up against a deadline. She's got to go NOW before she gets any older in order to have a shot at the record -- whatever that is.

As has been repeated so many times here on CF, being beholden to a schedule is often a recipe for disaster. It forces the sailor to do things he/she wouldn't do and accept a level of preparation he/she would not have otherwise accepted. No other "record" attempt I can think of carries this particular built-in burden -- if but for the age factor, Abby could do this next year, when she's had a chance to properly prepare.

[Noname1]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Bad idea. Not criminally so, but certainly not wise.

Generally, I think 16 year old adolescents (on the cusp of emerging adulthood) should stay home, finish high school (at the minimum); whilst continuing to prepare for future great adventures (if they so wish), and acquiring a little more knowledge, experience, and physical, intellectual, & emotional maturity (one hallmark of which, is the understanding and application of the principles “delayed gratification”). <snip>

Gord I would agree SH-RTW is not what I would want for my 16 yr kids but staying at home, finish hs is not what I would necessarily call the best thing either. At the risk of upsetting my fellow US Americans the US is not the be all and end of the world. I sent my 16 yr high school junior to Brasil for a year to do his studies there. He came home an young adult perfectly able to fend for himself - only to be beaten down by our school system geared to keeping them from ever growing up or oh my gosh risk getting hurt! IMO if more kids got out and experienced something different from a steady diet of adverts telling them how only if they have this car, etc they will then be happy they would be much better for it. Son now moves easily in other cultures and has an appreciation for learning about and meeting new peoples - isn't that what part of the cruising life is all about anyway?

[sneuman]

Originally Posted by michaeldsusa

Gord I would agree SH-RTW is not what I would want for my 16 yr kids but staying at home, finish hs is not what I would necessarily call the best thing either. At the risk of upsetting my fellow US Americans the US is not the be all and end of the world. I sent my 16 yr high school junior to Brasil for a year to do his studies there. He came home an young adult perfectly able to fend for himself - only to be beaten down by our school system geared to keeping them from ever growing up or oh my gosh risk getting hurt! IMO if more kids got out and experienced something different from a steady diet of adverts telling them how only if they have this car, etc they will then be happy they would be much better for it. Son now moves easily in other cultures and has an appreciation for learning about and meeting new peoples - isn't that what part of the cruising life is all about anyway?

and where exactly are these kids going to get that exposure to other cultures if the whole premise of their endeavor is non-stop!?

[Noname1]

I'm only referring to Gords comments in bold text.
Because of son's adventure he now has friends and a place to crash in Oz, NZ, Joburg, Canada, France, etc....
A little off topic I suppose.
Mea culpa!

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

... Everyone on CF pretty much knows how everyone else feels about ages for rtw, solo sailing. There is a high risk that this thread is the same debate with a different name.
I encourage everyone to talk about Abby's RTW effort but we aren't interested to repeat the "should she go debate."
Thanks!

I apologise for my major part in dragging this thread off-course, and into dangerous (and mostly shallow ) waters.
Please feel free to delete my inappropriate post #15.

[c-kow]

One of these days someone is going to put a frozen zygote in a sailing pod guided by GPS and finally put the 'youngest around the world' record to rest

on the subject of abby's circumnavigation, I like how her brother's visibility helps her attract sponsors. I'll confess, I'm jealous. If this works she'll have a great adventure, they'll get visibility, and everyone will win.

[MikeinLA]

Originally Posted by c-kow

One of these days someone is going to put a frozen zygote in a sailing pod guided by GPS and finally put the 'youngest around the world' record to rest

What I fear most is that one of these attempts will end very badly which might also calm this "record fever".

Mike

[Noname1]

and give the butinskis of the world an excuse to regulate sailing even more for our 'own good".

[paradix]

Originally Posted by sneuman

and where exactly are these kids going to get that exposure to other cultures if the whole premise of their endeavor is non-stop!?

Can't speak for Abby, but Jessica, in preparation for her rtw, crewed independently (of her family) on several passages in the South Pacific including undertaking environmental projects in Vanuatu with Oceanswatch. She also skippered across the Tasman to New Zealand, and visited the sub-antarctic islands on another passage.

I could not agree more with Michael that high school is not always the optimal place for a young person to develop into a responsible, independent member of society.

[12,800ft]

My mistake. In english.

No longer is solo sailing around the world a big deal, the difficulty of it is how boiled down to being watched and observed and being "crowded" and people "bumping bows" as you do it? The traffic, the opportunity for others to mess it up.

It's no longer about the easy thing, the sailing thing, that's now a given in modern boats and any one at any age can do it, it's the "risk" of the "other" people knowning about you "doing" it, and screwing you up".

Correct?

Maybe submarines are next?

Out of sight?


If you believe that " got a table mountain replete with knives and forks in table bay . zar.

[slomotion]

The boat is still in R.I., but they hope to leave for Florida tomorrow. Per an article in Soundings the new RTW departure goal is "early December."

Abby Sunderland: Have boat, will sail

IMO the new departure goal is just as unrealistic as the old November one.

[barnakiel]

How old can Gord be?

He/she sounds 13-16.

Can we stop her/him from posting?

Wild Eyes great name for the boat.That's what she will get once out there and all alone.

b.