| Jessica Watson is a girl in a mullion. At an age when | | | | any breeze and the first few days were slow but on |
| many teenagers are planning their future careers, | | | | she went. |
| studying for university placements, or simply hanging | | | | On and on she went for 42,000 nautical kilometers. |
| out on the streets this plucky girl decided to do | | | | Up the Pacific Ocean, down into the Southern waters |
| something amazing. With some pretty good sponsors | | | | and around Cape Horn. Her videos show her |
| behind her the family stripped down a yacht, sanded | | | | enjoyment at the sight of land for the first time in |
| its timbers, painted and outfitted it to exacting | | | | weeks. |
| degrees and made ready for this unbelievable trip of | | | | Dolphins appeared from horizon to horizon as she |
| a lifetime. | | | | crossed the Indian Ocean and made her way to the |
| Australia first heard about her something beforehand | | | | south west coast of Australia. Into the Roaring |
| as she began to make her plans known. At that time | | | | Forties this plucky girl took her boat. It was here that |
| she was just 15 years old and the skeptics were out | | | | a previous round the world sailor almost lost his life |
| in force. "It can't be done" some cried. Others | | | | when his boat overturned and he was rescued by |
| suggested child welfare should get involved. But there | | | | the Australian Navy. |
| were those who believed in her and egged her on. | | | | The weather was dreadfully unkind and the swell |
| Television interviews, media coverage of her sailing | | | | was up to 10 meters or more high. The little yacht |
| skills, more sponsors rushing to get in on the publicity | | | | rose and crashed down again as her parents flew |
| and an unwavering family support team meant she | | | | overhead giving her moral support. |
| had it all going in her direction. So why should she be | | | | Down again to the south of Tasmania in icy |
| stopped? | | | | conditions Jessica Watson plowed on. The it was up |
| Horror of horrors. Jessica set out from Brisbane for | | | | the east coast where a few years before several |
| Sydney where the journey was scheduled to | | | | yachties lost their life in a storm during the Sydney |
| commence and was asleep with the collision warning | | | | to Hobart Yacht Race. She faced almost similar |
| switched off. The inevitable happened. The little | | | | conditions as the nation held its breath. Would she, |
| yacht collided with a massive tanker and broke its | | | | could she make it home now in one piece? |
| mast. This was taken as a sign that she could not | | | | Around the world people were sending her emails and |
| handle the trip. | | | | she blogged about her journey and what she was |
| Limping into Brisbane for repairs the plucky young | | | | experiencing but nothing could surpass the welcome |
| lady dealt with the criticism with the aplomb of a | | | | that Sydney turned on, The Prime Minister, Kevin |
| master in control. She knew what she intended and | | | | Rudd, the New South Wales Premier, Christine |
| how dare anyone say she was not up to it. | | | | Keneally, and tens of thousands waited at the |
| Many Aussies held their breath as the day dawned | | | | Sydney Opera House and at last she stepped off the |
| and she set off our of Sydney Harbour and past the | | | | Pink Lady onto dry land. |
| starting line. She was on her way. There was hardly | | | | |