Jessica Watson
Encyclopedia
Jessica Watson is an Australia
n sailor
. She resides in Buderim, Queensland
. In May 2010, she unofficially became the youngest person to sail non-stop and unassisted
around the world, although her route did not meet World Sailing Speed Record Council
(WSSRC) criteria for circumnavigation of the globe.
Watson departed from Sydney
on 18 October 2009, heading eastbound over the Pacific Ocean
, Atlantic Ocean
and the Indian Ocean
. She returned to Sydney on 15 May 2010, three days before her 17th birthday.
On 25 January 2011 she was named the 2011 Young Australian of the Year.
The second of four children of New Zealand
couple Roger and Julie Watson, who moved to Australia in 1987, she has dual Australian and New Zealand nationality. She has an older sister (Emily) and younger brother and sister (Tom and Hannah). All four took sailing lessons as children, and the family went on to live on board a 16 metre cabin cruiser for five years, the children being home schooled via distance learning. Later they lived on a purpose-built double decker bus for some time. When Jessica was eleven and they were still living on the boat, her mother read Jesse Martin
's book Lionheart: A Journey of the Human Spirit to the children as a bedtime story. This led to Jessica forming the ambition at age twelve to sail around the world too.
Watson's planned circumnavigation route was to start and end at Sydney, and to pass near New Zealand
, Fiji
, Kiribati
, Cape Horn
, Cape of Good Hope
, Cape Leeuwin
and South East Cape
. In accordance with the definitions for circumnavigations set out by the International Sailing Federation
's WSSRC, the equator
must be crossed; this crossing was carried out near Kiritimati
. However, the journey eventually did not meet the WSSRC requirement of an orthodromic
distance of 21,600 nmi (refer below for the reason).
Watson arrived back in Sydney Harbour at 1:53pm, Saturday 15 May 2010. The Harbour Master, Capt. Steven Young, blew into a party whistle to signal Jessica's official arrival back home.
The Los Angeles Times
reported Watson's reason for her journey: "I wanted to challenge myself and achieve something to be proud of. And yes, I wanted to inspire people. I hated being judged by my appearance and other people's expectations of what a 'little girl' was capable of. It's no longer just my dream or voyage. Every milestone out here isn't just my achievement, but an achievement for everyone who has put so much time and effort into helping getting me here."
After the journey she continued a relationship with Michael Perham
, the previous youngest circumnavigator. They met during a stop he made in Australia during his circumnavigation, and they had several phone conversations during her journey. More recently, however, Jessica has also been seen spending time with Australia's youngest ever federal politician, Wyatt Roy
. Jessica's mother insists they are just friends, and that Jessica's schedule—which takes her around the country and world—is currently preventing her from "dating boys."
Watson has written a book about her experience, which is called True Spirit and published by Hachette Australia (ISBN 0733624979). The book was released 29 July 2010.
Jessica has also filmed a documentary about her solo trip before, during and after completing her solo trip which will be narrated by Sir Richard Branson and premiered on ONEHD on 16 August 2010 and then was released on DVD along with a CD album on 20 August 2010.
's Magic Roundabout on which she acted as skipper during a crossing of the Tasman Sea
. At the time she left on her voyage, Watson had the following qualifications:
The boat is a 10.23 metres (33.6 ft) Sparkman & Stephens
S&S 34
, the same design as used by Jon Sanders
, David Dicks
and Jesse Martin
in their circumnavigations. It was obtained and refitted with new equipment under the supervision of Don McIntyre and Bruce Arms, both skilled and experienced sailors. The refitting included a new galley, reconditioned diesel and water tanks, and a complete rebuild of the electrical system. Jessica Watson was also deeply involved in the preparation of the boat, which she named Ella's Pink Lady. Most of the time the boat is steered by a self-steering windvane system. She has named the system Parker
after the chauffeur of the pink Rolls-Royce in the Thunderbirds
television series.
to Sydney
, on her first night after leaving Brisbane, Ella's Pink Lady collided with the Silver Yang, a 63,000-tonne bulk carrier
at about 02.00 am on 9 September 2009 near Point Lookout
. Watson's boat was dismasted in the collision. She was able to retain control and return the boat to Southport
under motor.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau's
preliminary report on the collision found that Watson had been taking a five minute nap during the event, (thus she was asleep at the time of the collision), and that while she had checked her radar prior to lying down, she had failed to spot the Silver Yang. This led to the accident four minutes later. The report also found that the Silver Yang had been aware of her presence and had attempted to change course, but that this had been insufficient to avoid Watson's boat.
The final report was released in June 2010. The report stated that both Watson and the Silver Yang's watchkeepers had failed to maintain an adequate lookout and that both had failed to properly employ the navigational aids. In addition, the report found that the watchkeeper on the Silver Yang had failed to offer assistance to Watson after the two vessels had collided.
-sponsored Ella's Pink Lady. 18 days later, on 5 November, she passed Tonga
, sailing clear of both New Zealand
and Fiji
.
As required for a full circumnavigation, she crossed the equator on 19 November 2009 (Australian date), near Jarvis Island
at about 161°40'W longitude, and rounded Kiritimati
on 22 November 2009 (Australian date) after 36 days. Then she crossed the equator again at 156°20'W longitude, and continued south-easterly towards Cape Horn
. The sailed distance from Sydney to Kiritimati was about 3,900 nmi
. At Christmas she was near Point Nemo, the place located furthest from land.
On 13 January 2010 (9:40 UTC) she passed Cape Horn
, having sailed around 9,800 nmi
in 87 days. This was 11 days ahead of the planned 100 nmi (185.2 km) per day schedule. Soon after her parents flew over her in a small plane in order to witness the passage. Just over a week later, on 23 January 2010, several days after passing the Falkland Islands
, she suffered four knock-downs in a severe storm
with 10-metre waves and 70 knots (137.2 km/h) winds. The storm caused minor damage to her boat and her emergency beacon was accidentally activated as the mast hit the water.
The halfway point on the voyage was passed on 25 January 2010, her 100th day at sea, 11500 nmi (21,298 km) based on the original calculation of 23000 nmi (42,596 km) sailing route.
On 15 February 2010, she crossed the Prime Meridian
, crossing from the Western Hemisphere
to the Eastern Hemisphere.
This placed her near the Cape of Good Hope
, which she passed on 24 February, reaching Cape Agulhas
, (the southernmost point of Africa), and crossing from the Atlantic Ocean
into the Indian Ocean
. From southern Africa, Watson sailed more than 5000 nmi (9,260 km) towards Western Australia
.
Watson arrived in the Australian economic zone
on 10 April 2010, celebrating with crackers and Vegemite
. There her parents and media flew over her in a small plane in order to welcome her. She passed Cape Leeuwin
on south-western Australia two days later, with approximately 2500 nmi (4,630 km) remaining.
When south of Australia, Watson suffered a lot of inclement weather. In this part of the journey, she had at least three knockdowns (where the mast hit the water), one of them with the mast deep into the sea, luckily without any real damage or injury. The swells she experienced in the Great Australian Bight
were up to 12 metres in height, higher than anytime before.
On 3 May, Watson rounded the South East Cape
of Tasmania
and began heading north to Sydney, her final destination.
Watson completed her journey on day 210 of her voyage at 1:53pm on 15 May 2010 when she arrived in Sydney Harbour. Her 17th birthday was 3 days later.
During the journey Watson had to do repairs herself to the boat and the equipment. Several of the repairs were reported on the blog: the battery monitor (18 Dec), the stove, toilet and mainsail (24 Jan), the toilet again (11 March), replacement of wind generator blades (30 March), the kettle (10 April), the mainsail again (18 April), replacement of the wind generator with a spare (21 April), and finally the fuel pump of the engine (10 May).
in Brisbane.
of Yachting Australia, and by Grant Wharington, the skipper of Skandia, with Wharington stating that he had been impressed by Watson when they had met, but that he had advised her to gain experience by undertaking a number of shorter solo passages before attempting the circumnavigation, although she chose not to follow his advice. A more general concern was raised by the Australian Childhood Foundation, who questioned whether a 16 year old girl would have the ability to fully understand the risks that such a venture would involve.
distance travelled by Watson was 19631.6 nmi (36,357.7 km), which was less than the required distance according to the definition set by the World Sailing Speed Record Council
(WSSRC), and that the journey was therefore ineligible to claim world record status for round-the-world journeys. The equivalent orthodromic distance for Watson's route would be 18582 nmi (34,413.9 km). The WSSRC definition states in part "The shortest orthodromic track of the vessel must be at least 21600 nmi (40,003.2 km) in length." The analysis suggests that Watson's published distance logs are based on sailed distances, including tacks and strategic weather detours, rather than the shortest orthodromic track between islands and capes as defined. The rule is based on the older rule, followed by current record-holder Jesse Martin
, that during a circumnavigation the sailor must pass two points on opposite sides of the earth (antipodes
). For example, if starting in southern England, a place near the start will be opposite to the track near New Zealand. It was replaced by the rule that for world records the shortest orthodromic track must be at least as long as the circumference of the earth (hence 21,600 nautical miles).
Watson responded "If I haven't been sailing around the world, then it beats me what I've been doing out here all this time! Yes it's a shame that my voyage won't be recognized by a few organizations because I'm under 18, but it really doesn't worry me."
Watson's manager, Andrew Fraser, dismissed the claim, noting that the WSSRC does not recognise records by sailors under eighteen. He stated "Jessica has sailed a southern hemisphere solo circumnavigation, [in which] 'a vessel must start from and return to the same point, must cross all meridians of longitude and must cross the Equator'. Jessica has ticked all of these boxes. Jessica has sailed the most challenging and treacherous oceans of the world, passing the four capes (Cape Horn, Cape Agulhas, Cape Leeuwin and the Cape of SE Tasmania) and crossed the Equator twice. She has sailed around the world, non-stop, solo, unassisted and when she completes the voyage, she will be the youngest to have done that, sailing almost 23,000 nautical miles in the process. We have official TracPlus data to confirm Jessica's exact distance upon her return."
British sailing journalist and author Bob Fisher published an article on Sail-World.com refuting the round the world claim. He said "True, Jessica has sailed alone and unassisted, passed under the four required capes, but the orthodromic route she has taken does not total the necessary 21,600 miles that is equivalent of the girth of the Earth at the equator. And that, Andrew Fraser, is a requirement for the world record you were claiming for Jessica, and which would put her in line to beat Jesse Martin's record."
Watson commented on this matter in her book True Spirit. She states that she wrote a number of letters to the WSSRC asking what she had to do to claim the record. Their answer was that she could not claim the record since age records were no longer recognized. She got the impression it was (according to WSSRC) not necessary to follow the route Jesse Martin followed (which went far north of the equator in the Atlantic), a route Watson knew well from reading Martin's book more than once. Watson decided to follow a route commonly accepted as round the world. A number a sailors, like Kay Cottee
, followed a similar route which has been accepted.
In the book she also criticised those who criticised her management. Sail-World.com has written "We don’t believe she decided her route. People think we’re criticising Jessica. We’re not. We’re criticising her management". She felt hurt by that, since it hinted that "He was suggesting that I was just a puppet, that I had no voice and no will of my own."
gave his support before departure.
During her journey others expressed their support for her attempt. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
said in a public speech on 26 January that "Jessica Watson ... is an extraordinary young Australian." According to ABC News
, competing circumnavigator Abby Sunderland
congratulated Jessica on rounding Cape Horn, "She's done an amazing job and I hope the rest of her trip goes as well as it has so far."
At the arrival in Sydney, she was met by approximately 75,000 spectators including Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd
. He said "Jess welcome back to dry land. Welcome back home to Australia. You know something, you may feel a little wobbly on your feet just now, but in the eyes of all Australians you now stand tall as our newest Australian hero."
in Melbourne. She was selected as one of the ten international "2010 Adventurers of the Year" by National Geographic Society
, and was the only sailor in the group.
Watson was named the Young Australian of the year on 25 January 2011.
in United Kingdom in June 2011, as a crew member with Phil Baughen as skipper and Michael Perham
as third crew member, although they had to retire after boat damage. She also sailed in the Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race with part of the intended Sydney-Hobart crew using the boat "Another Challenge". They won their class.
After that, she plans to sail in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
in December 2011, skippering the boat "Another Challenge" with the youngest crew to compete in the race, consisting of ten people aged under 22.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
. She resides in Buderim, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. In May 2010, she unofficially became the youngest person to sail non-stop and unassisted
Unassisted sailing
Unassisted sailing is a form of sailing, usually single-handed, where sailors are not given any physical assistance during the entire course of the voyage...
around the world, although her route did not meet World Sailing Speed Record Council
World Sailing Speed Record Council
The World Sailing Speed Record Council, founded in 1972, is the body authorized by the International Sailing Federation to confirm speed records of sailing crafts on water . In the early years the council only dealt with claims of speed records on a one-way leg of 500 metres...
(WSSRC) criteria for circumnavigation of the globe.
Watson departed from Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
on 18 October 2009, heading eastbound over the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. She returned to Sydney on 15 May 2010, three days before her 17th birthday.
On 25 January 2011 she was named the 2011 Young Australian of the Year.
Early life
Jessica Watson was born on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.The second of four children of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
couple Roger and Julie Watson, who moved to Australia in 1987, she has dual Australian and New Zealand nationality. She has an older sister (Emily) and younger brother and sister (Tom and Hannah). All four took sailing lessons as children, and the family went on to live on board a 16 metre cabin cruiser for five years, the children being home schooled via distance learning. Later they lived on a purpose-built double decker bus for some time. When Jessica was eleven and they were still living on the boat, her mother read Jesse Martin
Jesse Martin
Jesse Martin is an Australian sailor who in 1999 became the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe solo, non-stop, and unassisted, taking the record from David Dicks, who was 24 days younger when he completed his circumnavigation, but had obtained assistance. Martin's journey in the S&S 34...
's book Lionheart: A Journey of the Human Spirit to the children as a bedtime story. This led to Jessica forming the ambition at age twelve to sail around the world too.
Circumnavigation and publicity
Watson had been planning to complete a solo non-stop and unassisted circumnavigation of the globe since at least early 2008. Officially announced in May 2009, the journey was expected to take eight months with an estimated distance of 23,000 nautical miles. To fulfill the plan of sailing non-stop and unassisted, during the journey no other person would be allowed to give her anything and she must not moor to any port or other boat, although advice over radio communication was permitted.Watson's planned circumnavigation route was to start and end at Sydney, and to pass near New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, Kiribati
Kiribati
Kiribati , officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The permanent population exceeds just over 100,000 , and is composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral island, dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometres, straddling the...
, Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
, Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
, Cape Leeuwin
Cape Leeuwin
Cape Leeuwin is the most south-westerly mainland point of the Australian Continent, in the state of Western Australia.A few small islands and rocks, the St Alouarn Islands, extend further to the south. The nearest settlement, north of the cape, is Augusta. South-east of Cape Leeuwin, the coast...
and South East Cape
South East Cape
South East Cape is the southernmost point of the main island of Tasmania, the southernmost state of Australia. South East Cape is located at ....
. In accordance with the definitions for circumnavigations set out by the International Sailing Federation
International Sailing Federation
The International Sailing Federation is recognised by the International Olympic Committee as the world governing body for the sport of sailing....
's WSSRC, the equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
must be crossed; this crossing was carried out near Kiritimati
Kiritimati
Kiritimati or Christmas Island is a Pacific Ocean raised coral atoll in the northern Line Islands, and part of the Republic of Kiribati....
. However, the journey eventually did not meet the WSSRC requirement of an orthodromic
Great-circle distance
The great-circle distance or orthodromic distance is the shortest distance between any two points on the surface of a sphere measured along a path on the surface of the sphere . Because spherical geometry is rather different from ordinary Euclidean geometry, the equations for distance take on a...
distance of 21,600 nmi (refer below for the reason).
Watson arrived back in Sydney Harbour at 1:53pm, Saturday 15 May 2010. The Harbour Master, Capt. Steven Young, blew into a party whistle to signal Jessica's official arrival back home.
The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
reported Watson's reason for her journey: "I wanted to challenge myself and achieve something to be proud of. And yes, I wanted to inspire people. I hated being judged by my appearance and other people's expectations of what a 'little girl' was capable of. It's no longer just my dream or voyage. Every milestone out here isn't just my achievement, but an achievement for everyone who has put so much time and effort into helping getting me here."
After the journey she continued a relationship with Michael Perham
Michael Perham
Michael Perham is a young adventurer from Potters Bar who, at the age of 17 years and 164 days, became the youngest person to sail around the world solo in the 50 ft racing yacht totallymoney.com, completing his journey on 27 August 2009...
, the previous youngest circumnavigator. They met during a stop he made in Australia during his circumnavigation, and they had several phone conversations during her journey. More recently, however, Jessica has also been seen spending time with Australia's youngest ever federal politician, Wyatt Roy
Wyatt Roy
Wyatt Beau Roy is an Australian politician. He has been a Liberal National Party of Queensland member of the Australian House of Representatives since August 2010, representing the electorate of Longman. At 20 years of age, he was the youngest person ever to be elected to an Australian parliament...
. Jessica's mother insists they are just friends, and that Jessica's schedule—which takes her around the country and world—is currently preventing her from "dating boys."
Watson has written a book about her experience, which is called True Spirit and published by Hachette Australia (ISBN 0733624979). The book was released 29 July 2010.
Jessica has also filmed a documentary about her solo trip before, during and after completing her solo trip which will be narrated by Sir Richard Branson and premiered on ONEHD on 16 August 2010 and then was released on DVD along with a CD album on 20 August 2010.
Preparation
As training for her voyage, Watson crewed on a number of vessels, including OceansWatchOceansWatch
OceansWatch is an international not-for-profit NGO that works with sailors, divers and scientists worldwide to help coastal communities conserve their marine environments, develop sustainable livelihoods and ensure access to primary schools. OceansWatch was established in 2007...
's Magic Roundabout on which she acted as skipper during a crossing of the Tasman Sea
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...
. At the time she left on her voyage, Watson had the following qualifications:
- RYA/ISAF Offshore Safety course (ISAF SR 6.01) Cat zero (one day 8 hour course)
- RYA Diesel Engine course (one day 8 hour course)
- RYA Radar course (one day 8 hour course)
- YAs Safety and Sea Survival certificate (two day 16 hour course)
- OMTC issued Certificates of Competence for Apply First Aid HTLF301B
- IMO compliant Elementary First Aid Table A VI/1-3 STCW95 (one day 8 hour course)
- Yachtmaster Ocean theory certificates (40 hour course)
- Radio operator’s licence
- About 6,000 coastal and 6,000 ocean miles experience.
Boat
The boat is a 10.23 metres (33.6 ft) Sparkman & Stephens
Sparkman & Stephens
Sparkman & Stephens is a naval architecture and yacht brokerage firm with main offices on 5th Avenue in New York City, USA and offices in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and Newport, Rhode Island, USA. The firm performs design and engineering of new vessels for pleasure, commercial, and military use....
S&S 34
S&S 34
S&S 34 is a cruising and racing fibreglass monohull sailboat class. It was based on a design by Olin Stephens from Sparkman and Stephens after a commission from British yachtsman Michael Winfield following by a 1967 IOR rule change....
, the same design as used by Jon Sanders
Jon Sanders
Jon Sanders is an Australian yachtsman.- Early years :He grew up in Perth and in his teens and twenties, worked with shearing teams for 17 years. Initially he was a wool classer/shearing contractor, shearing team overseer and later owner of his own shearing team...
, David Dicks
David Dicks
David Dicks OAM CitWA, is an Australian sailor. He became the youngest person to sail non-stop and solo around the world. In February 1996, at the age of 17, he set out from Fremantle, Western Australia in his family's 10m S&S 34 sloop named 'Seaflight'...
and Jesse Martin
Jesse Martin
Jesse Martin is an Australian sailor who in 1999 became the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe solo, non-stop, and unassisted, taking the record from David Dicks, who was 24 days younger when he completed his circumnavigation, but had obtained assistance. Martin's journey in the S&S 34...
in their circumnavigations. It was obtained and refitted with new equipment under the supervision of Don McIntyre and Bruce Arms, both skilled and experienced sailors. The refitting included a new galley, reconditioned diesel and water tanks, and a complete rebuild of the electrical system. Jessica Watson was also deeply involved in the preparation of the boat, which she named Ella's Pink Lady. Most of the time the boat is steered by a self-steering windvane system. She has named the system Parker
Aloysius "Nosey" Parker
Aloysius "Nosey" Parker is a fictional character in the television series Thunderbirds, the feature films Thunderbirds Are GO and Thunderbird 6 and the 2004 live action film Thunderbirds....
after the chauffeur of the pink Rolls-Royce in the Thunderbirds
Thunderbirds (TV series)
Thunderbirds is a British mid-1960s science fiction television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of marionette puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation"...
television series.
Test run and collision
During a test run sailing from BrisbaneBrisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, on her first night after leaving Brisbane, Ella's Pink Lady collided with the Silver Yang, a 63,000-tonne bulk carrier
Bulk carrier
A bulk carrier, bulk freighter, or bulker is a merchant ship specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo, such as grains, coal, ore, and cement in its cargo holds. Since the first specialized bulk carrier was built in 1852, economic forces have fueled the development of these ships,...
at about 02.00 am on 9 September 2009 near Point Lookout
Point Lookout, Queensland
Point Lookout is a headland and small coastal village located on the eastern coast of North Stradbroke Island. To the north lies Cape Moreton and to the south the next major headland is Point Danger on the New South Wales/Queensland border. The other towns on the island are Dunwich and Amity Point....
. Watson's boat was dismasted in the collision. She was able to retain control and return the boat to Southport
Southport, Queensland
-Sport:The Southport Sharks Australian rules football club has a presence in the area, including a club and function centre.-Transport:The Broadwaterway is a foreshoreway that encourages pedestrians and cyclists to travel along the Broadwater foreshores of Southport.A ferry terminal is planned for...
under motor.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau's
Australian Transport Safety Bureau
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is Australia’s national transport safety investigator. The ATSB is the federal government body responsible for investigating transport-related accidents and incidents within Australia. It covers air, sea and rail travel. The Australian Transport Safety...
preliminary report on the collision found that Watson had been taking a five minute nap during the event, (thus she was asleep at the time of the collision), and that while she had checked her radar prior to lying down, she had failed to spot the Silver Yang. This led to the accident four minutes later. The report also found that the Silver Yang had been aware of her presence and had attempted to change course, but that this had been insufficient to avoid Watson's boat.
The final report was released in June 2010. The report stated that both Watson and the Silver Yang's watchkeepers had failed to maintain an adequate lookout and that both had failed to properly employ the navigational aids. In addition, the report found that the watchkeeper on the Silver Yang had failed to offer assistance to Watson after the two vessels had collided.
Journey
Watson sailed out of Sydney Harbour on 18 October 2009 in her pink-hulled Ella BachéElla Baché
Ella Baché is a skin care brand created in France by pharmacist Madame Baché in 1936. Ella Baché is one of the oldest family-owned skincare companies in the world. It began with a few handmade formulations and a salon located at 8 Rue de la Paix in Paris...
-sponsored Ella's Pink Lady. 18 days later, on 5 November, she passed Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
, sailing clear of both New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
.
As required for a full circumnavigation, she crossed the equator on 19 November 2009 (Australian date), near Jarvis Island
Jarvis Island
Jarvis Island is an uninhabited 4.5 square kilometer coral island located in the South Pacific Ocean at , about halfway between Hawaii and the Cook Islands...
at about 161°40'W longitude, and rounded Kiritimati
Kiritimati
Kiritimati or Christmas Island is a Pacific Ocean raised coral atoll in the northern Line Islands, and part of the Republic of Kiribati....
on 22 November 2009 (Australian date) after 36 days. Then she crossed the equator again at 156°20'W longitude, and continued south-easterly towards Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
. The sailed distance from Sydney to Kiritimati was about 3,900 nmi
Nautical mile
The nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...
. At Christmas she was near Point Nemo, the place located furthest from land.
On 13 January 2010 (9:40 UTC) she passed Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
, having sailed around 9,800 nmi
Nautical mile
The nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...
in 87 days. This was 11 days ahead of the planned 100 nmi (185.2 km) per day schedule. Soon after her parents flew over her in a small plane in order to witness the passage. Just over a week later, on 23 January 2010, several days after passing the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
, she suffered four knock-downs in a severe storm
Storm
A storm is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather...
with 10-metre waves and 70 knots (137.2 km/h) winds. The storm caused minor damage to her boat and her emergency beacon was accidentally activated as the mast hit the water.
The halfway point on the voyage was passed on 25 January 2010, her 100th day at sea, 11500 nmi (21,298 km) based on the original calculation of 23000 nmi (42,596 km) sailing route.
On 15 February 2010, she crossed the Prime Meridian
Prime Meridian
The Prime Meridian is the meridian at which the longitude is defined to be 0°.The Prime Meridian and its opposite the 180th meridian , which the International Date Line generally follows, form a great circle that divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.An international...
, crossing from the Western Hemisphere
Western Hemisphere
The Western Hemisphere or western hemisphere is mainly used as a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian and east of the Antimeridian , the other half being called the Eastern Hemisphere.In this sense, the western hemisphere consists of the western portions...
to the Eastern Hemisphere.
Eastern Hemisphere
The Eastern Hemisphere, also Eastern hemisphere or eastern hemisphere, is a geographical term for the half of the Earth that is east of the Prime Meridian and west of 180° longitude. It is also used to refer to Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia, vis-à-vis the Western Hemisphere, which includes...
This placed her near the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
, which she passed on 24 February, reaching Cape Agulhas
Cape Agulhas
Cape Agulhas is a rocky headland in the Western Cape, South Africa. It is the geographic southern tip of Africa and the official dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, (the southernmost point of Africa), and crossing from the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
into the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. From southern Africa, Watson sailed more than 5000 nmi (9,260 km) towards Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.
Watson arrived in the Australian economic zone
Exclusive Economic Zone
Under the law of the sea, an exclusive economic zone is a seazone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources, including production of energy from water and wind. It stretches from the seaward edge of the state's territorial sea out to 200 nautical...
on 10 April 2010, celebrating with crackers and Vegemite
Vegemite
Vegemite is a dark brown Australian food paste made from yeast extract. It is a spread for sandwiches, toast, crumpets and cracker biscuits, and filling for pastries...
. There her parents and media flew over her in a small plane in order to welcome her. She passed Cape Leeuwin
Cape Leeuwin
Cape Leeuwin is the most south-westerly mainland point of the Australian Continent, in the state of Western Australia.A few small islands and rocks, the St Alouarn Islands, extend further to the south. The nearest settlement, north of the cape, is Augusta. South-east of Cape Leeuwin, the coast...
on south-western Australia two days later, with approximately 2500 nmi (4,630 km) remaining.
When south of Australia, Watson suffered a lot of inclement weather. In this part of the journey, she had at least three knockdowns (where the mast hit the water), one of them with the mast deep into the sea, luckily without any real damage or injury. The swells she experienced in the Great Australian Bight
Great Australian Bight
The Great Australian Bight is a large bight, or open bay, off the central and western portions of the southern coastline of mainland Australia.-Extent:...
were up to 12 metres in height, higher than anytime before.
On 3 May, Watson rounded the South East Cape
South East Cape
South East Cape is the southernmost point of the main island of Tasmania, the southernmost state of Australia. South East Cape is located at ....
of Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
and began heading north to Sydney, her final destination.
Watson completed her journey on day 210 of her voyage at 1:53pm on 15 May 2010 when she arrived in Sydney Harbour. Her 17th birthday was 3 days later.
During the journey Watson had to do repairs herself to the boat and the equipment. Several of the repairs were reported on the blog: the battery monitor (18 Dec), the stove, toilet and mainsail (24 Jan), the toilet again (11 March), replacement of wind generator blades (30 March), the kettle (10 April), the mainsail again (18 April), replacement of the wind generator with a spare (21 April), and finally the fuel pump of the engine (10 May).
Ella's Pink Lady stays in Queensland
In the months following the completion of Jessica's journey, there were questions about what would become of her boat, Ella's Pink Lady. In April 2011, after the state and federal governments jointly purchased the yacht for $300,000, it was announced that the Pink Lady would have a permanent exhibition at the Queensland Maritime MuseumQueensland Maritime Museum
The Queensland Maritime Museum is located on the southern bank of the Brisbane River just south of the South Bank Parklands and Queensland Cultural Centre precinct of Brisbane, and close to the Goodwill Bridge....
in Brisbane.
Criticism
Watson's journey has been criticised, particularly after the collision with the freighter. Barry Tyler of Pacific Motor Yacht magazine wrote, "like the majority of the seafaring world [I] consider it irresponsible, cavalier and indeed ignorant to attempt such a feat, at such a tender age and with so little trans-ocean experience." Questions about her experience were also expressed by Phil Jones, the CEOChief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of Yachting Australia, and by Grant Wharington, the skipper of Skandia, with Wharington stating that he had been impressed by Watson when they had met, but that he had advised her to gain experience by undertaking a number of shorter solo passages before attempting the circumnavigation, although she chose not to follow his advice. A more general concern was raised by the Australian Childhood Foundation, who questioned whether a 16 year old girl would have the ability to fully understand the risks that such a venture would involve.
Circumnavigation scrutiny
Sailing website Sail-World.com published an analysis on 3 May 2010 which claimed that the expected rhumb lineRhumb line
In navigation, a rhumb line is a line crossing all meridians of longitude at the same angle, i.e. a path derived from a defined initial bearing...
distance travelled by Watson was 19631.6 nmi (36,357.7 km), which was less than the required distance according to the definition set by the World Sailing Speed Record Council
World Sailing Speed Record Council
The World Sailing Speed Record Council, founded in 1972, is the body authorized by the International Sailing Federation to confirm speed records of sailing crafts on water . In the early years the council only dealt with claims of speed records on a one-way leg of 500 metres...
(WSSRC), and that the journey was therefore ineligible to claim world record status for round-the-world journeys. The equivalent orthodromic distance for Watson's route would be 18582 nmi (34,413.9 km). The WSSRC definition states in part "The shortest orthodromic track of the vessel must be at least 21600 nmi (40,003.2 km) in length." The analysis suggests that Watson's published distance logs are based on sailed distances, including tacks and strategic weather detours, rather than the shortest orthodromic track between islands and capes as defined. The rule is based on the older rule, followed by current record-holder Jesse Martin
Jesse Martin
Jesse Martin is an Australian sailor who in 1999 became the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe solo, non-stop, and unassisted, taking the record from David Dicks, who was 24 days younger when he completed his circumnavigation, but had obtained assistance. Martin's journey in the S&S 34...
, that during a circumnavigation the sailor must pass two points on opposite sides of the earth (antipodes
Antipodes
In geography, the antipodes of any place on Earth is the point on the Earth's surface which is diametrically opposite to it. Two points that are antipodal to one another are connected by a straight line running through the centre of the Earth....
). For example, if starting in southern England, a place near the start will be opposite to the track near New Zealand. It was replaced by the rule that for world records the shortest orthodromic track must be at least as long as the circumference of the earth (hence 21,600 nautical miles).
Watson responded "If I haven't been sailing around the world, then it beats me what I've been doing out here all this time! Yes it's a shame that my voyage won't be recognized by a few organizations because I'm under 18, but it really doesn't worry me."
Watson's manager, Andrew Fraser, dismissed the claim, noting that the WSSRC does not recognise records by sailors under eighteen. He stated "Jessica has sailed a southern hemisphere solo circumnavigation, [in which] 'a vessel must start from and return to the same point, must cross all meridians of longitude and must cross the Equator'. Jessica has ticked all of these boxes. Jessica has sailed the most challenging and treacherous oceans of the world, passing the four capes (Cape Horn, Cape Agulhas, Cape Leeuwin and the Cape of SE Tasmania) and crossed the Equator twice. She has sailed around the world, non-stop, solo, unassisted and when she completes the voyage, she will be the youngest to have done that, sailing almost 23,000 nautical miles in the process. We have official TracPlus data to confirm Jessica's exact distance upon her return."
British sailing journalist and author Bob Fisher published an article on Sail-World.com refuting the round the world claim. He said "True, Jessica has sailed alone and unassisted, passed under the four required capes, but the orthodromic route she has taken does not total the necessary 21,600 miles that is equivalent of the girth of the Earth at the equator. And that, Andrew Fraser, is a requirement for the world record you were claiming for Jessica, and which would put her in line to beat Jesse Martin's record."
Watson commented on this matter in her book True Spirit. She states that she wrote a number of letters to the WSSRC asking what she had to do to claim the record. Their answer was that she could not claim the record since age records were no longer recognized. She got the impression it was (according to WSSRC) not necessary to follow the route Jesse Martin followed (which went far north of the equator in the Atlantic), a route Watson knew well from reading Martin's book more than once. Watson decided to follow a route commonly accepted as round the world. A number a sailors, like Kay Cottee
Kay Cottee
Kay Cottee, AO was the first female sailor to perform a single-handed, non-stop circumnavigation of the world. She performed this feat in 1988 in her yacht Blackmore's First Lady, taking 189 days.-Early life:...
, followed a similar route which has been accepted.
In the book she also criticised those who criticised her management. Sail-World.com has written "We don’t believe she decided her route. People think we’re criticising Jessica. We’re not. We’re criticising her management". She felt hurt by that, since it hinted that "He was suggesting that I was just a puppet, that I had no voice and no will of my own."
Praise
Despite criticism, Watson has had her supporters, not only after, but before the departure. In particular, adventurer Don McIntyre strongly supported her attempt, providing her with a boat and speaking in support of her attempt. Similarly, Tony Mowbray, who, like McIntyre, has previously circumnavigated the globe, provided his support, arguing that she was "doing it for the right reasons" and that he was confident of her success. The captain of the Magic Roundabout spoke highly of her skills, backing her circumnavigation attempt by describing her as a "damn-good crew member" and stating that he believed that she possessed the necessary abilities. Also adventurer and company owner Richard BransonRichard Branson
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business magnate, best known for his Virgin Group of more than 400 companies....
gave his support before departure.
During her journey others expressed their support for her attempt. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
said in a public speech on 26 January that "Jessica Watson ... is an extraordinary young Australian." According to ABC News
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
, competing circumnavigator Abby Sunderland
Abby Sunderland
Abigail Jillian "Abby" Sunderland is an American sailor who, in 2010, attempted to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world.-Early life:...
congratulated Jessica on rounding Cape Horn, "She's done an amazing job and I hope the rest of her trip goes as well as it has so far."
At the arrival in Sydney, she was met by approximately 75,000 spectators including Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
. He said "Jess welcome back to dry land. Welcome back home to Australia. You know something, you may feel a little wobbly on your feet just now, but in the eyes of all Australians you now stand tall as our newest Australian hero."
Awards
Since completing her circumnavigation, Jessica Watson has been recognised with a number of awards. These include the "Spirit of Sport" award from the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, and "Young Performer of the Year" for 2010, an award voted by the Australian public and presented at the annual Sports Performer AwardsSports Performer Awards
The Sports Performer Awards, supported by The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald and presented by Colonial First State, are one of the most prestigious and lucurative prizes in Australian sport, first awarded in 2007....
in Melbourne. She was selected as one of the ten international "2010 Adventurers of the Year" by National Geographic Society
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
, and was the only sailor in the group.
Watson was named the Young Australian of the year on 25 January 2011.
Further projects
Jessica Watson took part in the Mini Fastnet sailing race, in Europe, in June 2011, sailing a two person mini sailboat with Scott Cavanough as skipper. Following the Mini Fastnet, she sailed the Round the Island RaceRound the Island Race
The Round the Island Race is a yacht race around the Isle of Wight, organized by the Island Sailing Club based in Cowes. It is the fourth largest sporting event in the United Kingdom and is one of the most popular fixtures on the Solent racing calendar attracting competitors from Europe and the...
in United Kingdom in June 2011, as a crew member with Phil Baughen as skipper and Michael Perham
Michael Perham
Michael Perham is a young adventurer from Potters Bar who, at the age of 17 years and 164 days, became the youngest person to sail around the world solo in the 50 ft racing yacht totallymoney.com, completing his journey on 27 August 2009...
as third crew member, although they had to retire after boat damage. She also sailed in the Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race with part of the intended Sydney-Hobart crew using the boat "Another Challenge". They won their class.
After that, she plans to sail in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starting in Sydney, Australia on Boxing Day and finishing in Hobart. The race distance is approximately...
in December 2011, skippering the boat "Another Challenge" with the youngest crew to compete in the race, consisting of ten people aged under 22.
External links
- Official website
- Broadcast of her arrival in Sydney (7:19 in length). Retrieved 29 Jan 2011.
- Collision between Silver Yang and Ella's Pink Lady off Point Lookout, Queensland on 9 September 2009 ATSBAustralian Transport Safety BureauThe Australian Transport Safety Bureau is Australia’s national transport safety investigator. The ATSB is the federal government body responsible for investigating transport-related accidents and incidents within Australia. It covers air, sea and rail travel. The Australian Transport Safety...
Final Report, 15 June 2010