Mt Whitney Zone Forums The Chat Room Jessica

Jessica received a prestigious award a few days ago. I waited to post this until the missing were found.

Now Abby has received a different, but nevertheless worthwhile award.

She also visited NASA to meet the SARSAT team.

"Currently, the SARSAT system has saved more than 205 lives in the United States this year alone. However, Affens and his team are developing new technology that will detect distress signals in less than five minutes, a process made possible by placing repeater technology on the Air Force's network of Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites. "

Two posts on her blog:

A week in Maryland and day 2 in Washington.

Jessica has been appointed the Ambassador for the China Cup International Regatta. Here and here.

"The China Cup International Regatta is currently in its fourth year running and has grown leaps and bounds into the definitive sailing regatta in Asia with an international bill of teams from all around the world including UK, United States, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, France, Israel, Estonia, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong and China."

Jessica turned up at the Melbourne Cup in fancy gear. Amazing the difference a year makes at her age. But she's still Jessica. And she can pick horses, too.

Jessica is named a finalist in Queensland Australian of the Year.

Jessica just posted quite the TR.

Laura is talking about actually getting out on the ocean.

"Guppy is filled with boxes of food and drink. The diesel and water tanks are full so we are ready. Today I recently sailed with a good friend, there was a lovely breeze and I really wanted to sail it right now. Unfortunately there was a stowaway on board so I had to go back to Anfi for that off. But tomorrow I'm really about kicking back a little sailing. 'm Really curious how the Cape Verde will be. And I can not wait to go back to St. Maarten.
I think I will leave tomorrow afternoon from Anfi. And then a week at sea will sit until the next island is in sight."

Laura has sailed to the Cape Verde islands.

Details here.

In a way, I was kind of hoping this thread would die a natural death, but SteveC and others via PM seem to think otherwise.

Here is a good summary of what is going on. It seems that Laura is finally moving out, Abby has a ghost-written book and Jessica has won more rewards. More later.

Jessica went on holiday on the Pacific Dawn. Apparently she wasn't required to steer the ship. Not that that stopped her. (see photo).

She's the State finalist for Young Australian of the year. She won't be sailing in the Sydney to Hobart race, because she just isn't old enough. And there are more awards. More later.

Abby is leading a normal life, (so she says), writing her book & getting her driver's license.

Laura is on her way across the Atlantic. Her web site apparently doesn't have permalinks, so each link is to the current post. Or something like that. And the en route mapping page doesn't work, either.

"The wind decreased again last night, but fortunately, there is a slight breeze now. Still about 750 nautical miles [1389 kilometres; 863 land miles] to go, so I think that I will arrive in Sint Maarten around December 20th."

Jessica is gearing up for a different kind of Xmas.

She has reindeer antlers on her MINI - no reindeer in Oz, everybody knows that Santa's sleigh is pulled by six white boomers.

Laura has landed in St. Maarten after crossing the Atlantic. Check yesterday's entry on her blog - she lost & replaced her wind vane steering system rudder.

Jessica met up with Sir Robin Knox-Johnston in the build-up to the Sydney-Hobart race.

"She may have braved some of the most heinous conditions imaginable during her round-the-world voyage but Jessica Watson was just an excited teenager yesterday when she and one of her heroes accidentally crossed paths in Sydney."

Well, here's an end-of-year wrap on our intrepid sailor girls.

Laura has turned back into a touron in St Barts. Her webby people have never gotten the hang of permalinks, so the pointer is always to the most recent post, which breaks all archival references. Besides that, the "Where is Laura" tracking page has never worked.

Abby wishes us all a Happy New Year. She's thinking of taking on the bagpipes. Somebody needs to tell her that the bagpipes were invented by the Irish & given to the Scots as a practical joke, who, to this day, haven't gotten it.

Jessica had a great Christmas and is sunbaking on the beach.

On a different note, Jeanne Socrates, who is not a teenager, is approaching Cape Horn. The link takes you to the home page, click on the link under "Latest Logs" for the newest.

Abby made Yahoo's top ten survivor story list. Jessica & Laura got a mention, too.

Jeanne Socrates has suffered a knockdown near Cape Horn. She is apparently OK.

There is a full account of Jeanne's knockdown on her blog.

She, unlike Jessica & Abby, has posted pictures of the mess.

Jeanne is anchored at Cape Horn.

Jeanne made landfall in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world.