Jessica Watson.

[_Malcolm]

Hi Ray,
It's great to know how well this young lady is doing.
It is as much a journey of self discovery within oneself
as it is encountering all that Mother Nature can throw
at you.
Pleased to know that Mike Perham and Jessica are pals.
Mike already has a girlfriend, but you never know how
this 'friendship' may pan out.

My headline for Jessica would read "Gutsy Lady".

[_Ray A]

Hi Malcolm,

I am just totally beside myself following this young lady, and I really don't mean to start any "speculation" in regard to relationships. Only going on speculative (and perhaps false) media reports.

Maybe I'm a spineless "sook", but Jess has given me so much hope for our "species". The first six months of 2010 will remain forever in my memory because of Jessica Watson.

"I wanted to challenge myself and achieve something to be proud of. And yes, I wanted to inspire people. I hated being judged by my appearance and other people's expectations of what a 'little girl' was capable of. It's no longer just my dream or voyage. Every milestone out here isn't just my achievement, but an achievement for everyone who has put so much time and effort into helping getting me here." "It's experience, not age, the ocean doesn't care how old you are." - Jessica Watson

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
May the rains fall soft upon your fields,
And, until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand. - Irish proverb.

[_Malcolm]

Yes Ray,
I can very much appreciate your feelings of being 'beside yourself ' over Jessica's achievements. I felt the same when following young Mike.
Despite anything that we may have been through, it gives an overwhelming sense of pride in what can be achieved, and with people like these in the world you feel that the human race is not lost.
Mike said that what he missed most in the months at sea were hugs from family and friends. He did not miss all the usual teenage angst stuff just human contact. Jessica and Mike are truly inspiring individuals.

Mike's current Girlfriend did say she was not happy with his adventurous spirit keeping him away from home. So who knows, he may choose a fellow soulmate in the years ahead.

[_Malcolm]

She did it Ray, a great achievement for anyone, but we know that Jessica is not just anyone. She has made her own page in Australia's history.
Good on Ya, Girl.

[_Ray A]

She did it Ray, a great achievement for anyone, but we know that Jessica is not just anyone. She has made her own page in Australia's history.
Good on Ya, Girl.

And it looks like my speculation wasn't far wrong after all:

Mr Perham was among the first people to greet the 16-year-old Queenslander as she reached the end of her voyage in Sydney on Saturday.

He says they share a "special bond" and described Jessica's mother Julie, as his "future mother-in-law".

But when it comes to romance they were taking it slowly, he added.

"When I first met Jess there was something between us I can't describe," Mr Perham told New Idea.

"Just this connection that felt as though we had known each other forever.

Sailing friend Mike Perham tells of love and Jessica Watson's brush with death.

[_Malcolm]

Hey Ray,
New job out there for you Mr. Matchmaker!
Let's hope that young love becomes everlasting for them.

Jessica seems to be a strong minded young lady and turned down a lot of money, that others would just make a grab for. This way she gets to choose just who is at her party and not just a magazine on the hunts for pics.

[_Ray A]

Hi Malcolm,

Anyone who can spend 210 days literally rocking and rolling on the high seas without the daily comforts of life like fresh food or even a hot shower has to be tough. What eventually turns out for her and Mike we'll just have to wait and see.

In the meantime, I thought Abby Sunderland showed real class and a big heart by sending congratulations to Jessica. She has impressed me no less from the start with her determination and bravery, and honesty. I'll also be following the rest of her journey through her blog, and also wishing the most for her safe and successful return to the US.

[_Malcolm]

Hi Ray,
Yes, it's all eyes on Abby now.
Another young lady whose dreams are fast becoming reality!

[_Ray A]

I don’t suppose that too many here, except Malcolm maybe, have been following the latest news. Abby Sunderland is now “feared lost” in the Indian Ocean. An International rescue operation is now in progress, coordinated by French, American and Australian authorities. A Qantas jet is now on the way to the last pinpointed location of Abby’s yacht. Sail World (Australia) reports:

Latest word from Team Abby is that the boat is drifting backwards at around 1 knot. This indicates that no sails are active and that the yacht is not in an upright position, as it would be drifting at a faster rate in a normal sailing position without sails. If the keel has snapped off, then there would be a good air pocket under the yacht for Abby to wait for rescue.

Abby and her team are committed Born-Again Christians, and seem to have relied a lot on “the Lord”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSMyTp4A ... youtu.be&a (have a look at the minute 7 of the video)

What is becoming more apparent, though, is that she may have chosen the wrong type of yatch to circumnavigate. According to David Dicks, another solo circumnavigator:

Mr Dicks said Abby's 40-foot yacht, Wild Eyes, is a very different boat from the type he and Jessica Watson used on their trips. It has a racing hull, different rigging, a very high mast and a large sail, making it tricky to handle.
"Basically Abby's is like a surfboard whereas my boat was more like a floating brick," he said.
"The boat I took is like a pit bull, it's low and it's strong and it gets through everything but Abby's boat is like a greyhound. If it's not handled in exactly the right way in water like that ... you can come to grief a lot more easily.
"If she wasn't experienced in handling a boat like that before she left she would have been by the time she got to the Indian Ocean, but all you have to do is one thing wrong and the thing could break up."

'I would have been scared *@#%less': Dicks.

Abby’s father said of the latest crisis, “it’s now in God’s hands”. However, the Sparkman and Stevens 34 (which Ella’s Pink Lady is) was clearly more adequately designed to handle solo around the world sailing, and it seems that Team Abby just may have chosen the wrong boat, and not even “the Lord” could have prevented what has happened.

In any case, my most fervent thoughts are now with Abby, and for her survival. Hopefully the rescue efforts will be successful. As her father said, it will have to be a miracle. And that “miracle” is being provided by International rescue operations.

[_just me]

I did hear this on the news tonight and thought of you, Ray. I sure hope she is rescued!!!