Jessica Watson Sails Past Half-Way Point in Around-The-World Expedition

Jessica Watson, the 16-year-old sailor from Buderim, Australia, set sail from Sydney on October 18, 2009 aboard Ella’s Pink Lady, a boat built specifically for ocean sailing. Jessica is hoping to become the youngest explorer, male or female, to circumnavigate the globe non-stop and unassisted.

On January 14, 2010, after 88 days and 9800 nautical miles, Jessica officially conquered what many consider to be “the Mount Everest of the maritime world” by rounding the windy and unpredictable waters off the coast of Cape Horn, South America. However, the Cape Horn accomplishment quickly faded. Jessica’s toughest test to date occurred a little over a week later on January 23, 2010, as she sailed into a storm producing hurricane-force, 70 knot winds and seven to ten meter high swells. During the fight with the storm, Jessica and her gear ended up soaking wet after being thrashed around the cabin. She described the storm in a blog post saying, “Ella’s Pink Lady was picked up, thrown down a wave, then forced under a mountain of breaking water and violently turned upside down.” Although her boat received some minor damage, it wasn’t enough to stop voyage and, a couple days later – on January 25, 2010 – Jessica passed the halfway mark in her attempt – a major milestone in her journey.

In a solo ocean journey, where a quick rescue isn’t an option, your equipment must offer the highest level of reliability. Jessica was able to survive the storm and continue on because her equipment didn’t fail.

Jessica carries the necessities required for an expedition of this magnitude, including solar panels, a satellite broadband system, GPS and electronic tracking and signaling equipment. Most of the electronics on board are to assist with navigation and keep other ships from colliding with Ella’s Pink Lady. Among Jessica’s many sponsors is Panasonic Australia who outfitted her with a Toughbook 30 laptop that will help document her journey and provide communication back home. From emailing fans to updating her blog or simply sending a hello to family and friends, the communication equipment plays a vital role in her safety and overall success.

Follow Jessica’s progress on her website: Jessicawatson.com.au