Young sailor launches in secret

Reuters

Laura Dekker

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A 14-year-old Dutch sailor has departed in secrecy from Gibraltar on her quest to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world - avoiding the media because, her manager said, she did not want the attention.

Laura Dekker was in good spirits on Saturday as she sailed her 11.5-metre boat, Guppy, from the British territory on the south-western tip of Spain, on a trip expected to last a year or more, her manager, Peter Klarenbeek, said.

The record attempt has been criticised by Dutch child-protection authorities, who questioned the wisdom of a child risking the voyage alone.

Laura's departure was kept a secret from the media.

''She said goodbye to her father and friends and she sailed away into the horizon,'' said the Dutch company MasMedia, which has exclusive TV rights to film her voyage.

Laura had been scheduled to depart from Portimao, in south-western Portugal, where she arrived from the Netherlands last week for final sea trials.

But MasMedia's director, Marijke Schaaphok, said Laura ended up leaving from Gibraltar because Portugal issues permits for sailing ocean vessels only to people aged 18 or older.

This regulation did not apply in Gibraltar, Ms Schaaphok said.

Laura also ''did not want to speak to the media'' gathered in Portimao, Mr Klarenbeek said.

She is sailing to the Canary Islands or Madeira, depending on the wind, Ms Schaaphok said. Then she plans to head through the Panama Canal to the Pacific Ocean and on to Australia, the southern tip of India and through the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean.

A Dutch court released Laura last month from the guardianship of child-protection agencies, who had tried to block her voyage because of fears for her safety and psychological health.

Ms Schaaphok said Laura was mature for her age and had proved she could sail her yacht without help by passing a maritime exam in the Netherlands for a vessel of her boat's size.

Laura was uniquely qualified for the ambitious venture because she grew up with her father on a boat, and ''is completely different from a normal 14-year-old girl''.

''She's very wise and a little bit impatient, but she's a very nice girl and she knows exactly what she wants,'' Ms Schaaphok said.

In the end, the Dutch court ruled that her preparations were adequate and it was up to her parents, who are divorced, to decide whether to let her make the attempt.

The trip comes two months after Abby Sunderland, a 16-year-old American, had to be rescued in a remote part of the Indian Ocean during an attempt to circle the globe. Earlier this year, Australian Jessica Watson completed a 210-day voyage at age 16.

While Jessica remained at sea non-stop, Laura plans dozens of stops and may even return home to catch up on her studies before resuming her trip.

Associated Press

- AP