Laura Dekker
Posted by: rodwsmith on 21 January 2012
It was great to be at the yacht club in St Maarten this afternoon to welcome back Laura Dekker who, at 16, has become the youngest person to sail round the world single-handedly.
There were hundreds of us, quite a turnout for a Caribbean island. And all the massed mega-yachts of the world's superrich sounded their thunderous horns in well deserved salute. The coastguard led her in through a special opening of the Simpson Bay swing bridge accompanied by dinghies and small boats of all shapes and sizes.
Fingers crossed I can catch up with Laura in the next few days, as I managed to meet her at a party last year before she set off. She and her family are very down to earth (sea, probably better word).
I'm aware of the naysayers and the Dutch government position, but she strikes me as an intelligent, level headed person who has already made more of her life than I probably have of mine, so the 'should be at school' stuff must at least be reserved for another time.
An extraordinary and inspirational achievement!
There were hundreds of us, quite a turnout for a Caribbean island. And all the massed mega-yachts of the world's superrich sounded their thunderous horns in well deserved salute. The coastguard led her in through a special opening of the Simpson Bay swing bridge accompanied by dinghies and small boats of all shapes and sizes.
Fingers crossed I can catch up with Laura in the next few days, as I managed to meet her at a party last year before she set off. She and her family are very down to earth (sea, probably better word).
I'm aware of the naysayers and the Dutch government position, but she strikes me as an intelligent, level headed person who has already made more of her life than I probably have of mine, so the 'should be at school' stuff must at least be reserved for another time.
An extraordinary and inspirational achievement!