Abby Sunderland, 16, aims to break a world record for the youngest person to nonstop solo circumnavigate around the globe

Abby Sunderland aged 16 from  United States left Marina Del Rey ten days ago in a bid to be the youngest person male or female to sail solo around the world non-stop. 

This year has seen a lot of media attention around minors in the sport of solo sailing. Abby's brother Zac who at the time was the youngest sailor around the world and was shortly beaten a month later by British sailor Mike Perham (aged 17) see wiki for further details. There has been controversy over the Australian sailor Jessica Watson who in training collided with a container ship. Doubts were expressed about her seamanship. Lastly we had the ongoing saga of fourteen year girl Laura Dekker were the Dutch authorities tried to stop her departure and her subsequent disappearance only to be found safe in St Martin in the Caribbean.

I have my doubts weather it is prudent to allow minors to sail solo around the world. If I had a chance to do it as a teenager would I have gone "hell yeah".  Would I have had the maturity to carry it out in a seamen like manner "hell no". I'm not ashamed to say that even on a fully crewed boat as an adult I have been scared to death at sea and the pressure on friends and family at home is unmeasurable. You also have to doubt the financial funding of such projects. These kids are not sailing around the world on the back of years of hard graft. 

You only need to look at the websites of these young sailors to understand the huge part media exploitation and sponsorship are on getting  these projects off the ground. Is it responsible of the sponsors to encourage these minors to risk their lives? The motives of the sponsors are obvious, the more controversial the endeavour the greater media exposure. 

 There is also much debate in Maritime circles to the legality and seamanship of sailing solo, weather an adult or child. May I quote rule five of the the collision regulations (colregs)

"Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper look-out by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision"

It's impossible for a solo sailor to be on look out all the time as they must sleep . The emotional pressure for these kids must be enormous with so much time and money spent by these "Pushy Parents" and sponsors. Weather it's right or wrong I wish them all good luck and fair weather.