Editorial Comment: From the outset Jessica has been ill prepared (1st solo sail results in crash!) and now she breaks the rules. No denying she’s done something amazing that most adults wouldn’t do but really……just live with it – you didn’t follow the rules so you don’t have the record.
From the article: The Australian schoolgirl attempting to set a record as the youngest person to sail solo around the world will not get official recognition for her achievement because she took the wrong route, according to sailing experts.
Rob Kothe, the editor of Sail-World, said that Miss Watson’s achievement was “wonderful”, but would not qualify for official status because she had not sailed far enough and had not followed the course approved by the World Speed Sailing Record Council (WSSRC).
To qualify for official “around the world” status, a sailor has to cover 21,600 nautical miles, based on point-to-point distances, not the actual distance travelled by the boat.
Mr Kothe said that Miss Watson was 1,500 nautical miles short of the record.
Read the full story here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/sailing/7681061/Young-solo-sailo…
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