Watson should ride the fame wave

by Phil Lutton

Watson should ride the fame wave
March 18, 2010 - 9:52AM


I don't want to put the kiss of death on her, but I'm putting in my vote now for Jessica Watson as sportswoman, sportsman, and, bugger it, all-round Australian of the year. Both the real one, and that dodgy Aussie of the year award that Rupert Murdoch gives out as a spoiler. She should win them all.

The last time we discussed young Watson she was just headed off on her round the world voyage, beset on all sides by the tyrannies of unjust men, and generally suffering some epic dissage relating to her age, gender, lack of sailing experience, and presumed life-threatening foolishness for heading off into the cruel sea when she should've been staying at home, watching telly, hanging out at the mall, and maybe giving the binge drinking a bit of a nudge, which is all teenagers are good for according to my colleagues in the mainstream media.

She's not home yet, and there is a vast stretch of sometimes lethal ocean between her and home, but Jessica Watson has been kicking arse from the moment she sailed away. Like hundreds of thousands of other punters, I've become addicted to her blog, dropping in every day or two hoping for an update, marveling at her ability to absorb whatever punishment the southern oceans throw at her, wondering how someone so young can be so competent and so unbelievably tough.

Her yacht has been battered and smashed by monstrous seas. She has been all alone at the ends of the world for months, well beyond the reach of any rescue effort should something go wrong. She has repaired equipment failures, braved howling storms and, she assures us, kept up with her homework from school. I guess we'll see about that last one when she finally drops anchor in Sydney.

But while her arrival is still a while away, the hype and hysteria is building. If anything her legion of followers are probably more worried about what happens when she gets back on dry land than they have been about her ability to cope with some of the more treacherous passages of her voyage. If she pulls this off, and there is still some way to go, she is going to find herself riding a wave the likes of which she has not yet seen at any time in her travels.

I hope she makes a motser out of it.








Phil Lutton is the sports editor of brisbanetimes.