What the heck is up with teenage girls sailing around the world?

[~~whimsy~~]

Brimming with confidence, a 14-year-old Dutch girl on a quest to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world launched her vessel from a port in Gibraltar Saturday.

Laura Dekker was in good spirits when she set sail from the British territory near the southwestern tip of Spain, her manager said.

Her bid to circumnavigate the globe aboard her 38-foot craft Guppy is expected to last a year.

Laura's quest has ignited a sea of controversy. Dutch protection authorities denounced the effort, questioning the wisdom of a child battling the world's oceans alone.

Manager Peter Klarenbeek noted that the teenage sailor avoided the media because she didn't want the attention.

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

The trip was in jeopardy until last month, when a Dutch court released Laura from the guardianship of child protection agencies. The court gave final authority to Laura's parents.

Her journey comes two months after 16-year-old American Abby Sunderland had to be rescued during her attempt to circle the globe alone.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wor..._sailing_trip_around_the_world_despite_c.html

And she has a manager?

How many young teenage girls sail around the world this year so far? Two? Three?

 

[DJCowboy]

Manager Peter Klarenbeek noted that the teenage sailor avoided the media because she didn't want the attention.

then

which has exclusive TV rights of her voyage.

yeah, making deals like that means you don't want attention



I'm kinda hoping the world is flat and she falls off

 

[BlueBalls]

Too much anal in today's culture. It scares them all out to sea.

 

[STDiva]

They're trying to find Ry's house.

 

[~~whimsy~~]

:eek:

I just played a Justin Bieber record backwards and heard this. No lie! I totally, truly, heard this:

ZZzzzzzzRTTTTT -- sail the world -- BRRRZZZZZZZZTttttttT -- around the world. Sail! creeeech, static, creeeech -- Satan holds dominion in ocean --- VRRRRTTTTTtttttzzzzz -- children of the corn shall rise again!

It was freaky. :helpme:

 

[Mayhem]

What's wrong with her trying this? I think it's cool and I hope she succeeds. If she doesn't, I hope she survives. It's a very dangerous thing she's attempting. And before you experts get too cynical about things like managers and TV rights, a trip like this is monumentally expensive. It is also an obviously good story to tell. It would basically be a waste if there weren't TV rights.

yeah, making deals like that means you don't want attention

Think before you type. In this day and age of chicks peddling their own crappy sex tapes, do you really want to come down on a girl who has more balls at 14 than you will ever have in your life? Not one of us here would ever work up the nerve to try a fraction of what Laura is attempting.

 

[~~whimsy~~]

What's wrong with her trying this? I think it's cool and I hope she succeeds. If she doesn't, I hope she survives. It's a very dangerous thing she's attempting. And before you experts get too cynical about things like managers and TV rights, a trip like this is monumentally expensive. It is also an obviously good story to tell. It would basically be a waste if there weren't TV rights.



Think before you type. In this day and age of chicks peddling their own crappy sex tapes, do you really want to come down on a girl who has more balls at 14 than you will ever have in your life? Not one of us here would ever work up the nerve to try a fraction of what Laura is attempting.

That's rather cynical.

 

[DJCowboy]

What's wrong with her trying this? I think it's cool and I hope she succeeds. If she doesn't, I hope she survives. It's a very dangerous thing she's attempting. And before you experts get too cynical about things like managers and TV rights, a trip like this is monumentally expensive. It is also an obviously good story to tell. It would basically be a waste if there weren't TV rights.



Think before you type. In this day and age of chicks peddling their own crappy sex tapes, do you really want to come down on a girl who has more balls at 14 than you will ever have in your life? Not one of us here would ever work up the nerve to try a fraction of what Laura is attempting.

This has been attempted before, earlier this year, by another 14 year old and she only lasted a couple days before having to give up. I'm not saying it doesn't take balls, but is it worth it? At such a young age to risk your life? For what? A little blurb on wikipedia? I know I wouldn't let my daughter do this

 

[Mayhem]

This has been attempted before, earlier this year, by another 14 year old and she only lasted a couple days before having to give up. I'm not saying it doesn't take balls, but is it worth it? At such a young age to risk your life? For what? A little blurb on wikipedia? I know I wouldn't let my daughter do this

It's up to each person to decide what is worth it. Climbing Everest or K2, trekking to the North or South Pole, backpacking across Alaska, whatever. These things hold a fascination for some people and if they can live their dream, who are we to criticize? And I've never been a proponent of setting some arbitrary number of years to when you can live your own life. If nothing else, the more time I spend on this board, the more I realize that there is much more to maturity and judgement than how old you are (yesterday was a banner day for this particular point).

 

[DJCowboy]

It's up to each person to decide what is worth it. Climbing Everest or K2, trekking to the North or South Pole, backpacking across Alaska, whatever. These things hold a fascination for some people and if they can live their dream, who are we to criticize? And I've never been a proponent of setting some arbitrary number of years to when you can live your own life. If nothing else, the more time I spend on this board, the more I realize that there is much more to maturity and judgement than how old you are (yesterday was a banner day for this particular point).

Yeah, 14 years is long enough on this planet to know that you should be doing something like this. At 14, I thought I was invincible and would definitely do more things that could be considered risky (we would jetski on incredibly rough waters, would go out hiking and rock climbing with hardly any gear for several days, random things like that) but I wouldn't ever do these things anymore because upon reflection, they were idiotic.

 

[Mayhem]

What is idiotic or not is for each person to decide. Jetskiing and rock climbing sound like you enjoyed your childhood. I'm sorry that you feel differently.

 

[LukeEl]

I think all of them are preparing for all the polar ice caps to melt and the world to be flooded like that Kevin Costner film, I think it was called "The World We All Lived In When All The Ice Melted"

 

[D-rock]

Too much anal in today's culture. It scares them all out to sea.

Maybe she knows she will be farther away from you. :tongue:

You could be a modern version of St. Patrick except with people instead of snakes.

 

[Ace Bandage]

Well, she's only about 420 years after Magellan's crew. Wait minute! That's why she's doing it: she's fucking high.

 

[emceeemcee]

ahh narcissitic 14 year old number 56 wants to go sailing around the world.


Maybe when the first one dies a horrific, terrifying death on the high seas they'll all realize that this isn't like going down to the shops without your folks for the first time. Best they stick with Pokemon.

 

[Roald]

she is a spoiled little brat and I have seen more then enough of her on the news here in Holland for the last year already.

 

[Spleen]

And they'll keep getting younger too. I'm trying to get my girl pregnant, and I'm hoping this time next year our daughter will be somewhere near the equator in a rubber dingy.

 

[GregCentauro]

I can only see one reason: The girl is from the Netherlands. The Dutch have always been a seafaring nation. And if you've ever been to Holland, you know why it's better to be eaten alive by sharks than to spend your "life" in the land of Andre Rieu.

:anonymous

 

[LaLiLuLeLohan]

I don't know, but it makes me wish the sharktopus was real.

Farewell and adieu to you fair Spanish ladies. Farewell and adieu to you ladies of Spain....

 

[PlasmaTwa2]

I hope she sails through the Bermuda Triangle.