Family of teen sailor jubilant on news she is safe

[Catty1]

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/10061...missing_family

Family of teen sailor jubilant on news she is safe

49 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The family of US teen sailor Abby Sunderland was "jubilant" on Friday after she was found safe on her damaged boat in the Indian Ocean during her solo round-the-world attempt.

"It is a huge relief, obviously," Laurence Sunderland told CNN after an Australian search plane spotted his 16-year-old daughter and her vessel.

He said the family was feeling "a great deal of jubilation and elation knowing that Abigail is safe."

The family has not been able to speak with the girl but said that rescue coordinators in Australia indicated that the pilot who spotted her reported that the boat was upright but that the rigging may have been damaged by waves.

"The severe weather conditions she was experiencing the day before this all happened have abated and we're confident that when the fishing vessel arrives ... it will be a successful rescue," Sunderland said.

"We are absolutely over the moon. We are very, very happy and excited that the Australian search and rescue jumped on this right away and got a plane after her."

Australia scrambled a chartered passenger jet from Perth early on Friday to scour seas some 3,700 kilometers (2,300 miles) away.

Authorities in Reunion Island, near Mauritius, off eastern Africa, said a patrol craft and a trade ship had also been diverted to Sunderland's location, as well as a fishing boat which is expected to reach her within 24 hours.

[Marigold2]

What a brave and gusty teen. A free spirit, who knows no bounds. She is a hero, like all great explorers one needs to take risks to, break the rules to live life to the fullesst. Gosh I wish I would have had her moxie at 16.

[Catty1]

This girl has been on boats since she was 2 months old. Her dad is a shipwright - her brother did a round-the-world trip last year.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english201...c_13346713.htm

Her dad said:

"I've never advocated this for 16-year-olds. I've advocated this for experienced sailors."

The dismasted yacht "Wild Eyes", sailed by U.S. teenaged sailor Abby Sunderland, is pictured from a search and rescue plane in the Australian search and rescue region of the Indian Ocean in this June 11, 2010 handout. The 16-year-old California girl trying to sail solo around the world is safe and well after a massive search and rescue was launched in the Indian Ocean when she triggered distress signals, her parents and Australian authorities said Friday. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

[Lady's Human]

Letting a 15 year old drive a car is endangerment.......

Letting a 16 year old try to solo around the world is.......?

The parents should be getting a bill from every agency involved in the search and rescue.

[Taz_Zoee]

This reminds me of the 8 year old girl that flew a plane and ended up crashing.
I don't understand how the parents could let her do this. I kept asking my boyfriend why they didn't have constant surveillance on her. Of course, like he said, that isn't possible.
I mean, that's great that her brother set the record at age 17 to sail around the world. But why do siblings have to be so competitive?

I am very glad that she is safe though.

[Catty1]

Well, here's what her parents have to say:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp...0CkTNK9LjzL07w

Parents of US teen sailor defend record attempt

(AFP) – 14 hours ago

LOS ANGELES — The parents of a 16-year-old sailor stranded in the Indian Ocean defended their daughter's solo round the world record attempt Friday as the teenager awaited rescue from her stricken yacht.

Abby Sunderland became the center of an international rescue effort when her 40-foot sailboat "Wild Eyes" was dismasted by mountainous waves as the youngster attempted a treacherous winter crossing of the Indian Ocean.

Fears for the youngster's safety mounted after her parents lost contact with her shortly before two emergency beacons on the craft were activated on Thursday.

Australia scrambled a chartered passenger jet from Perth to scour seas some 3,700 kilometers (2,300 miles) away and finally spotted Sunderland before establishing radio contact with the sailor.

Sunderland, who was reported to be safe and in good spirits Friday, is now waiting to be plucked from the ocean by a French ship diverted to her location, which is expected to arrive sometime on Saturday.

After expressing relief that their daughter had been found safe, Sunderland's parents on Friday rejected criticism of their child's attempt to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world.

"The fact is whether a teenager, or a young adult or a middle-aged person, there have been many rescues that have taken place," father Laurence Sunderland told NBC television's Today program.

He cited the example of French yachtswoman Isabelle Autissier, rescued from her capsized yacht in the southern Pacific Ocean in 1999 during the solo round-the-world race.

"Do we say that she shouldn't go out there and sail or that nobody should go out and sail because you face hard knocks and sometimes people need to be rescued? I don't think so," Sunderland said.

"Abigail's campaign unfortunately had a blow with the masting out there in the Indian Ocean and she's proven herself on more than one occasion before now to deal with the adversities of the ocean.

"She's proven herself capable of dealing with this. This is more of a testimony to her will to survive and deal with the situation than a travesty that she went out there at all."

Mother Marianne Sunderland meanwhile said the family had sought to minimize the risks of the voyage by having a comprehensive support team in place.

But she doubted whether her daughter would ever attempt such a hazardous record attempt again.

"I am definitely having a bit of a knee jerk reaction," she told CNN. "I don't want anyone going anywhere. (Abby) loves sailing. I don't think she will attempt anything of this magnitude again.

"I am sure she will be out to sea again someday."

Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved.


For those who are interested, other young world sailors:

Abby's brother:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zac_Sunderland

Zac Sunderland (born November 29, 1991) is an American sailor known for being the first person under the age of 18 to sail solo around the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Dicks

David Dicks OAM CitWA, is an Australian yachtsman, made famous for becoming the youngest person to sail non-stop and solo around the world.[1] In February 1996, at the age of 17, he set out from Fremantle, Western Australia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Perham

Michael Perham (born 16 March 1992[2] in Hertfordshire, England) is a young man from Potters Bar who, at the age of 17 years and 164 days, became the youngest person to sail around the world solo...completing his journey on 27 August 2009

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Watson

Jessica Watson (born 18 May 1993) is an Australian sailor, unofficially the youngest individual to sail non-stop and unassisted around the world.[1]

She departed from Sydney on 18 October 2009, heading eastbound over the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean. She returned to Sydney on 15 May 2010, three days before her 17th birthday

[blue]

Letting a 15 year old drive a car is endangerment.......

Letting a 16 year old try to solo around the world is.......?

The parents should be getting a bill from every agency involved in the search and rescue.

Yeah squash kids dreams.

I once watched a 16 year old on a dirt oval track racing supermodifieds in Beaver Dam WI.

Letting a 15 YO drive to the store for a carton of Marboros because mommy is to lazy or uncaring, is endangerment. Letting a skilled 15-16 year old try to achieve something and make a mark isnt. To many kids are told they can be great but are held back by overprotective families afraid of their community or locale .Gov to actually let their kids achive.

ETA: I agree the parents and sponsors funded this trip, so they should fund the rescue, unless of course they where smart enough to insure for this sort of outcome, then if the insurance company doesnt pay.... SUE!!!!!

[Hellow]

This girl was insane.

[blue]

This girl was insane.

That girl has huge bawls.

[Lady's Human]

And no common sense whatsoever.

It's WINTER in the southern Indian ocean.

A 15 y/o in a spec'd race car is a far cry from a 16 y/o in a boat with no support.

It's not called crushing their dreams. There's plenty of time to sail around the world on daddy's money. Do it when you've got a few more years of experience under your belt, and plan it better.

[Bonny]

That 16 year old has True Grit.

[kokopup]

From what I have read this youngster was already a seasoned sailor. She had already sailed through some very turbulent seas ,and I have no doubt that she would have completed the around the world trip if not for the broken sail.

When my son was very young he raced Motocross and many people ask why I let my son participate in such a dangerous sport. If he was reckless and Unprepared I would agree that he should not be doing this at his young age. i much prefer his racing to what his sons do for activity. They text and video game 24/7 and have absolutely no desire to do anything else.

IMO, I think the parents did all they could have done to ensure the safety of their daughter. Having a support ship under the conditions encountered would have been next to impossible. A support ship may even make conditions more dangerous.

[Catty1]

Abby Sunderland had had to put into two ports for repairs, etc. This changed the original schedule of her trip, which was timed to AVOID the winter storms.

She could have turned back at those times...but had come so far, I guess she decided to chance it.

[Catty1]

Abby Speaks:

Entire article at:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp...dLqUnSTlVCtwpA

"There are plenty of things people can think of to blame for my situation; my age, the time of year and many more," she wrote on soloround.blogspot.com. "The truth is, I was in a storm and you don't sail through the Indian Ocean without getting in at least one storm. It wasn't the time of year, it was just a Southern Ocean storm. Storms are part of the deal when you set out to sail around the world.

"As for age, since when does age create gigantic waves and storms?"

[Marigold2]

Silly girl for the earth is flat ya know, there are dragons and water monters in the ocean. Flight is a fantasy and the moon is made of cheese.
All great explorers where called crazy and fool hearty in their time.
Is there any one here regardless of age who would try this feat or are we all too scared and just arm chair critics?

And what about sending our children off to war, is that not a million times more fool hearty and dangerous?