Mt Whitney Zone Forums The Chat Room Jessica

Jessica is on the road with her new Driver's Licence.

Just another teenage driver. Look out!

Jeanne is still in port, waiting for bits & pieces to arrive and get through Customs. Some interesting photos, though.

Laura thinks sailing is safer than driving.

"I have found out that it is safer being at sea than being on land.Tuesday, I went biking along with my grandparents and some friends. However it is quite dangerous to ride here especially in the dark, but since it is not hilly it is also quite easy to do. But traveling by car is not safe either. On Wednesday I went kayaking the mangroves, and on the way back as we were driving over a dirt road a big truck hit us from behind at full speed. I was sitting in the back of the car and I have to thank my good star that the driver accelerated otherwise I would be as flat as a pancake now. So I have a big bump on my head and my back hurts a bit.. I am a little better now, but it was just by a hair's breadth that my trip didn't end right there. Yesterday my father and my sister arrived. It is soooooooooo nice to be together again. I have to get used to all the hustle and bustle but since it is the pleasant kind of flurry, i am getting used to it quickly." Laura

Coville has rounded the Cape of Good Hope. Since then he's traveled halfway across the Indian Ocean.

This is Laura's latest post. She answers some questions...

"I am feeling completely well again. The bump on my head is a lot smaller and my back is fine. Today I went biking but it wasn't much of a success. We started too late so it was very hot. Yesterday, I saw someone assembling a Mini-Cat. A really small, inflatable catamaran. My sister and I went over and we asked if we could have a sail with it. Well, we did and are just back. It was very funny. It sails extremely well if you keep in mind that it is an inflatable catamaran. Moreover, it was funny to sail with a real 'Guppy'.

But I would also like to give some answers to some comments.

When I started to prepare for my round the world trip at ten years old, I had never heard of Jessica [Watson], Abby [Sunderland], Zac [Sunderland - Abby's brother] or Mike [Perham]. It is quite funny that everyone compares me with them. Jessica, Abby, Zac and Mike tried something totally different from what I planned to do. They set off to sail around the world non-stop which is not what I am aiming to do. I avoid storm seasons, and I would like to see something of the world and learn about it while doing so. Because of that, my journey will take two years. I cannot go forward right now because then I would have to wait in Tahiti. I'd rather stay at berth here. In short, I am trying to achieve something different from Jessica, Abby, Zac and Mike's records. My trip is better compared to those of Tania Aebi and Robin Lee Graham. Tania was 18 when she sailed around the world from 1985 to 1987. She also flew back home during her trip and she had regular visits by her family.

This does not affect the record attempt in anyway. Unfortunately, her record was not recognized since she had a passenger aboard of her boat for one day while she sailed westerly and she did not go back on her path to sail it solo again. Robin was 16 and he sailed around the world between 1965 and 1970 with a 24-foot boat. However, both did it without GPS or nowadays equipment. Moreover, Tania did not have any sailing experience when she departed from New York. I write about this because I have been told that I should not go to the HISWA ( a boat show in the Netherlands) since this could endanger my record attempt. Because this was said so often to me I just wanted to answer. In fact my record will not be recognized as a real record. The Guinness Book of Records stopped recognizing all of the "youngest" records.

By the way, it is really funny to read all the comments going on the internet. Before I departed from the Netherlands, everyone thought that my trip would be too dangerous and that it would prove to be mentally disturbing to me. Now I read that even a baby could do it and that I am on a holiday trip??? Dear people, you should first make clear to yourselves what it is you are judging. I will certainly listen to negative comments, but they have to be based on facts and they should be well proven. In short, for real there are no, or just a few, negative comments because most naysayers actually do not know what it is they are talking about."

Laura

Thomas Coville has zoomed under Australia and is past Tasmania.

Position here.

Jeanne is dealing with bribery and corruption to get needed boat components on board.

If the following rant is out of line, then I expect SteveC or the Moderatrix to step in.

B&C is rampant in this country, even though we feel self-righteous compared to most other countries. It just occurs at the highest levels, <Google "Cheney"> or at your local union.

/rant.

Jessica's playing with bilbies again, and has a press conference on Wednesday to announce her next challenge. Whitney?

Abby's book is off to the printers, and she went sailing in an Open 60.

Jeanne is experiencing boom times - some great photos.

Thomas Scoville is almost at Cape Horn and has caught up around 600 miles of the deficit over the record-holder. 20 days to go.

Abby gave a talk at the TEDx Conference & lots of other fun stuff, but she still has school, homework & exams. Here.

Laura is in the Netherlands for a boat show.

Coville has posted his Cape rounding in English. Click on the "Cartographie" icon to see where he is now.

Jessica's planning to captain a Sydney-Hobart race team. She couldn't participate last year because she was under-age.

I'm behind on posting our adventurer's travels, because I've got deadlines & not so much traveling was happening.

Thomas Coville finished his solo circumnavigation in a 100' tri., but was several days outside the record. Read it here.

Jeanne has left the Falkland Islands and is still in the Atlantic.

Laura has traversed the Panama Canal & reached the Pacific.

Abby is back from traveling & has her book, brother & kittens.

Roz Savage left Fremantle a few days ago in attempt to be the first person to row solo across the major oceans.

Her blog is here. Roz, remember the sunscreen!



Even though there have been no postings for weeks, the number of views is still astonishing.

The weekly catchup post.

Jessica met a smart young lady in Kiwiland and is getting a little political and visited a replica of the original Endeavour.

No new news from Abby.

Laura found the Equator and discovered the Galapagos islands.

Jeanne didn't quite make to Gough Island - wherever the hell that is.

And Roz turned back to land for some needed fixes, discovered Australian mateship, watched some weird pommy ceremony on the tube, and is back in the water again. From personal experience, American kindness to strangers is very much like Australian mateship. This is worth watching. She's a Pom.

Roz is out to sea again, after repairs in Geraldton.

Roz is having battery problems, hopes to get all fixed up at the Abrolhos Islands. Perhaps she'll meet up with a Tammar Wallaby.

Laura has been swimming with sharks and has overcome her phobia.

Jeanne has crossed the Greenwich meridian.

Roz is doing Electrical Work at the Last Chance Saloon. All fixed.

Roz is on her way. For real.

Roz talks about fear.

Roz has posted Top tips for cooking on a rowboat. Lots of familiar stuff for peeps on this board.

"The next time you're eating your meal outside your tent while gazing contentedly into your campfire, just imagine trying to prepare your meal on a pitching boat, juggling stove and spoon and mug and trying not to lose anything overboard. It definitely adds a certain liveliness to the cooking experience!"

Laura has started to cross a major chunk of the Pacific. Her next stop is planned to be the Marquesas Islands.

Map here.

Well, it's been one whole year since Jessica arrived home.

Abby is speaking & doing book signings.

Laura is just over half-way through this leg of the Pacific Ocean.

And Jeanne made a dramatic landfall at Capetown.

Roz, though, seems to be tying knots in the ocean. The wrong kind.

Jessica turned 18.

Laura is down to 400 miles to go.

And Roz keeps pushing on, one oarstroke at a time.