Aussie teen's round-the-world no record: manager

by Google.com News

SYDNEY — Australian schoolgirl Jessica Watson was on track to become the youngest sailor to circumnavigate the world but her journey would not be officially recognised as a record, her manager said Wednesday.

Watson, 16, is in the final stretch of her 23,000 nautical mile trip and manager Andrew Fraser said she was expected to sail back into Sydney Harbour by May 16 -- one month ahead of deadline and two days before her 17th birthday.

But said that the voyage, now in its 200th day, was not "technically" a record.

"Because the World Speed Sailing Racing Council (WSSRC) don't recognise records for under-18s, technically Jesse Martin's record will never be beaten," Fraser told commercial radio.

He said Watson had "never intended" to claim the WSSRC certificate of recognition, and was aware from the outset that she could not officially break the record set by fellow Australian Martin, then aged 18, in 1999.

"She has, however, always wanted to achieve her goal of sailing around the world non-stop, solo and unassisted before her 17th birthday, and therefore be the youngest person in the world to have done so," he wrote on her website.

Fraser said Watson had sailed "the most challenging and treacherous oceans of the world" and satisfied the basic requirements of a solo southern hemisphere circumnavigation by crossing all meridians of longitude, twice sailing over the equator and passing the world's four capes.

"We feel Jessica has every right to enjoy the impending accolades and celebrate being the youngest person to sail solo around the world, non-stop and unassisted, when she sails back into Sydney Harbour," he said.

Lobbying had already begun to get the WSSRC to change its rules and recognise her voyage, Fraser said.

He dismissed claims from sailing expert Rob Kothe that Watson would be 2,000 nautical miles short of world record distance because she had not sailed far enough north of the equator.

"As a result of the WSSRC decision to discontinue recognition of age-related journeys, there is no official body to recognise Jessica's feat and therefore no official body's rules that need to be adhered to," Fraser said.