Would it be better if there had been no pre launch publicity and she had just gone and done it. How many detractors would there then be? She would already have proven them wrong. I do feel there is too much cosetting goes on these days. My parents were after all both working at 13, and for this girl she knows sailing as a way of life and has already more experience than many on this site.

Cheshirecatman

You are right on that point,

"Its easier to ask for forgiveness than permission!"

Not mine, but its right!

Clayton

Actually, I spent the last few weeks in the Netherlands, and there is a bit more to this than what the headlines say...the family unit here might be a contributing factor, because as I understand it the parents are recently divorced or are in the process of doing so....the authorities think that this might have played a role in the girl's decision, maybe as a coping mechanism....not exactly a good reason for a solo circumnnavigation! BTW, the decision is not final, there is another hearing in 2 months.

Just to scale it down a bit, do you think 2, 13 year olds could handle the Tybee 500?

I wasn't looking to win friends here Rolf the stakes are too high! Any parent that is willing to risk their childs life for what amounts to nothing more than a STUNT pisses me the F!@# OFF!

So you have the whole story and are ready to jugde.
Whatever you write here have no influence what so ever on how the situation develops in the Netherlands. The question posted was rhetoric and most adults are able to understand that.

I am out of here.

I take it you mean 'sail the course' on an 8.3m leaner. It's not can she race a beach cat around the world it's can she navigate around the world in approximately two years. Zac Sunderland at 17 did it in 13 months. Quadriplegic Hilary Lister (see BBC1 tonight) has just sailed around Britain!

Cheshirecatman

Well if Tad can do it ,I don't see why not!:P

Todd, Damn you I just spit coffee all over the monitor. . .

Hahaha... tuff crowd

What's it rate???

8 Meter boat seemed a bit small to me. Anybody know what kind of boat that is?

FRom the front page of Yahoo.com:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090828/ap_on_re_eu/eu_netherlands_young_sailor

Having seen (or rather cleaned up) the remains of what happens when youngsters drive cars, I can imagine that the maturity level of anyone attempting such a feat as a global circumnavigation must be extremely high. Just don't see that kind of thing happening (especially in USA where we tend to coddle children to such an extent we shield them from consequences of immature action).

I liked the earlier post about the other teen that circumnavigated with his parents in a boat behind him. That seems to offer a slightly increased level of safety (repeat SLIGHTLY).

Is there some way the courts are deciding her ability to complete the undertaking safely? Would "proving" herself in some shorter singlehand event (in the same boat) be enough (something like trans-pac)?

I would estimate there is a reason teenagers don't regularly cross the ocean by themselves... Reading those posts from team ROXY during her journey almost made that type of sailing 'pleasant'. If I wasn't such a crumudgeon I'd actually believe that!

I think an argument could be made that it would be hard to find a better classroom.

I agree with you on the classroom part, I look for opportunities to take my kids OUT of class and actually DO things...

13 yr old part . . thats a streach, I see a lot of kids doing things their parents want them to do. I see a lot of parents who think their kids are ready, I have fallen into that trap...

Have any of you read the book Maiden Voyage. It is about an eighteen year old girl sailing a 26 foot boat around the world 27,000 miles. Tania (the sailor) spent 2 years sailing the trip and learned things she would have never learned if she had not gone on the trip. It is a great read.

5 years make one hell of a difference, especially at that young.

Not making judgements on them, just saying my kids won't be doing that!

C

I saw Ellen Mc Aurthur cry in a storm, can you imagine a 13yo girl? Hell, I would have been crying more than Ellen, as she is a BADASS!
Mosleyout!

That is a Hurley 800, my sister and brother in-law have one actually, A very simple boat but very seaworthy.

I have been following the discussion about the girl quite closely, one thing I noticed that a lot of people
(including sailors) don't actually know what a cruising circumnavigation is about.
They might hear about it on the news and see the occasional V70 with gorillas-type guys grinding the winches or whatever.
The truth is that there are thousands of people doing it. The media and the judge have the idea that she will be by
herself for 2 years living in some sort of isolation, which is far besides the truth.
I did a circumnavigation with my parents when I was young so talk from personal experience.
I don't really have an opinion on whether she should go or not, but if the has the skills, proper preparation, and planning I think it should be possible.
She certainly sounds very bright in interviews.

I think the courts made an excellent decision. They will allow childcare and an as yet unnamed "neutral party" to run their assessments of her capabilities and then decide. The father who apparently has legal custody retains this (proof to me were not quite living in a police state..yet).
I think this will become an excellent learning experience for a lot more people than foreseen... Just hope this legal tangle will not "damage" (a term almost impossible to define) the girl more than any circumnav probably would...
My take: the girl is absolutely my hero for trying, the dad the baddy for actually letting her ;-)