Watch out Ellen MacArthur there is a new kid in town. Jessica Watson set sail on 18 October 2009 in her bid to become the youngest person to sail solo non-stop and unassisted around the world.
I have enormous respect for her already. Simply getting to the start line is an staggering feat of endurance. Reading Ellen macArthur’s autobiography I was struck by just how difficult it is to launch a serious ocean going expedition. The money involved, the technical difficulties and the sheer commitment that is required to drive the project forward are mind blowing.
Whether or not she is successful in her quest to break the record and of course I really hope that she is, I believe that she is a true champion and an emerging star of the adventure community.
Choosing to undertake events solo is not to be taken lightly. There is a world of difference between sharing problems with a team and facing each problem, and there will be many, alone on a cold dark ocean. It takes a special kind of character able to withstand the almost continuous pressure of being alone, solving every problem, being constantly tired, making decisions, all the time physically exhausted.
The expedition is in it’s early stages so she is yet to be truly tested in these departments, but reading and watching her video’s you are struck by her bubbly, charming, determined nature and I think she has the character to reach her dream.
I hope that she doesn’t get to hung up on chasing the record. This puts enormous extra pressure and also may well detract from the experience of the journey. It is a bit like clock watching, if every moment we are obsessed with the time and speed and miles covered it is easy to forget that we are on an amazing adventure and the experience of a lifetime.
I have enormous respect for our young sportsmen and the adventures they are undertaking. But it does raise some concerns in me. We have reached a point in our culture where the pursuit of records seams to be all consuming. This seams to be fuelled by the need for sponsorship and media coverage. Whilst there is nothing wrong per say with this approach it can lead to some unfortunate consequences.
It is common to see young prodigies burn out in tennis for example swamped by the weight of pressure and expectation. Rarely is this dangerous. In an adventure expedition this burn out can be dangerous and life threatening. In previous generations explorers served their apprentaships going on increasingly more challenging expeditions then graduating to going solo, then and only then trying to set speed records.
This is not the case anymore and I worry for the young explores in their quest for records. It takes years of experience to build up the necessary skills and knowledge to cope and handle the challenges of these extreme circumstances. In sailing terms physical ability is less important than skill so youth is at a disadvantage to an older participant.
Having said all of this I cannot get away from my sheer joy at her project and REALLY hope she has a fabulous experience. my thoughts are with her to stay safe, sail hard and god willing smash the record.
For more information on Jessica Watson and her attempt to break the around the world sailing record please visit her web site www.jessicawatson.com.au
Credits for the images used in this article about sailing solo around the world belong to Jessica Watson.
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