The 16-year-old Australian girl who braved boat knockdowns and seven months of solitude on a sail around the world set foot on dry land outside the Sydney Opera House on Saturday. Jessica Watson became the youngest person to sail around the globe solo, nonstop and unassisted when she cruised into Sydney Harbour in her pink, 34-foot (10-meter) yacht to a rock star welcome of thousands. She successfully maneuvered her boat through raging storms, 40-foot (12-meter) waves and seven knockdowns during the 23,000 nautical mile journey that critics thought she wouldn’t survive.
After standing on land for the first time in 210 days, the teen said she’s eager to learn how to drive a car, to eat fresh fruit and salad after months of packaged meals, get a full night’s sleep instead of catnaps and shake off her sea legs with a long walk on the beach. “You will pass your driving test with flying colors,” Prime Minister Kevin Rudd assured Watson, who giggled along with a crowd of thousands of her fans, many wearing pink or waving pink flags in honor of her yacht, Ella’s Pink Lady.
Read the full story here: http://sailboats.wordpress.com/2010/05/15/jessica-watson-sailing-4005/
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Ralph Varcoe. Ralph Varcoe said: Jessica Watson Welcomed Home: via sailboats.wordpress.com The 16-year-old Australian girl who… http://boatne.ws/13TJ #sailing #boating [...]