Teen sailor Abby Sunderland: I鈥檒l try again to conquer the globe
| Atlanta
Like an adventurer from a different time, California teen sailor Abby Sunderland remained undaunted Saturday, saying she will try again to solo the globe even after a winter storm in the Indian ocean broke the rigging on her 40-foot Wild Eyes sailboat.
On board a French fishing vessel that plucked Ms. Sunderland off the deck of her broken boat, the 16-year-old from Thousand Oaks, Calif., said the dismasting and subsequent rescue 鈥� a story that played around the globe 鈥� hasn鈥檛 deflated her drive to sail around the world.
鈥淚鈥檓 definitely going to sail around the world again, or at least give it another try,鈥� she said, according to Australian broadcaster ABC.
On Saturday, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority confirmed that Sunderland had been rescued more than 2,000 miles from the coast of Western Australia, two days after she lost communications and sent a distress signal.
Older sailors say her attempt to cross the Indian Ocean in winter was foolhardy. She faced 70-knot winds and waves three stories tall last week. Apparently a rogue wave flipped the boat, destroying the rigging and the keel. Sunderland was reportedly in fine shape after her rescue, only a 鈥渟light shake鈥� in her voice, according to her mom, Marianne Sunderland.
鈥淐razy is the word that really describes everything that has happened best,鈥� Sunderland wrote in a blog post from a place she described as 鈥渁 great big fishing boat headed I am not exactly sure where. The long and the short of it is, well, one long wave, and one short mast.鈥�
Her final destination, after what promises to be another week at sea jumping rides on different boats, is Reunion Island, a French territory east of Madagascar.
Critics like Steve Lopez at the Los Angeles times say allowing Sunderland to sail solo is close to on the part of the parents.
鈥滻 don鈥檛 think that record breaking is a bad idea in and of itself,鈥� Dave Czesniuk, director of operations at the Center for the Study of Sports in Society at Northeastern University, tells the Monitor鈥檚 Daniel B. Wood. 鈥淲hat must be asked is whether or not this achievement is coming at the expense of normal development in other endeavors, academically, emotionally, socially. The entire context of the youth in question needs to be weighed.鈥�
But her dad, Laurence Sunderland, Saturday that he would 鈥渨holeheartedly鈥� support another global run for his daughter.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think age should be a criterion in this,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t should be the experience of the person and their level of expertise to undertake this.鈥�
He added: 鈥淎bigail is a very competent sailor. She鈥檚 proven herself over and over again through this trip. This wasn鈥檛 the first time she had adverse conditions. She鈥檇 experienced over 50 knots of wind off the Falklands, rounding Cape Horn, and rounding Cape Good Hope. She鈥檚 been through trials and tribulations on the ocean and has overcome them.鈥�
鈥淭his was one that was unfortunate that took the mast of the vessel,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 got nothing to do with her sailing ability. It was an unfortunate thing that happened.鈥�:
Sunderland set out from Marina Del del Ray, on January 23 in her attempt to sail by herself around the world. She had to stop first in Cabo San Lucas and restart the attempt, but problems with the boat鈥檚 autopilot forced her to shore again in Cape Town. She had been at sea for nearly four and a half months when she was plucked out of the Indian Ocean.
She鈥檚 following the wake of her brother, Zac, who circumnavigated the globe when he was 17. Another 16-year-old sailor, Jessica Watson of Austrlia, currently holds the record for youngest solo circumnavigator, completing a 7-month journey earlier this year.
鈥淛essica Watson, her family and team were all relieved to hear the good news late this afternoon, that 16 year old solo sailor Abby Sunderland had been located and is safe, despite being dismasted in the Indian Ocean,鈥� said a statement .
Related:
Teen sailor Abby Sunderland found, but are quests like hers wise?
Round-the-world teenage sailor Jessica Watson gets hero's welcome in Australia
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