ASA sits down with Laura Dekker an articulate, soft spoken, thoughtful young lady whose wisdom belies her years. At the age of 16, after a five hundred and eighteen day journey, she would become the youngest person ever to sail around the world alone.
ASA sits down with Laura Dekker an articulate, soft spoken, thoughtful young lady whose wisdom belies her years. At the age of 16, after a five hundred and eighteen day journey, she would become the youngest person ever to sail around the world alone.
For years here on the ASA blog we followed Laura Dekker’s amazing round-the-world sailing adventures. The Dutch teenager battled the legal system, contended with public opinion, and braved the seven seas on her own. Now filmmaker Jillian Schlesinger is telling the tale. In case you’re unfamiliar with Laura’s story, here it is in a nutshell: Laura made her mind up at 13 to undertake a solo sailing voyage, and departed on her round-the-world journey in 2010 at the age of 14. This came after a long battle with Dutch authorities who did not want her to take the trip, and …
On this day in 1519, Ferdinand Magellan set sail on the first ever circumnavigation of Earth. Magellan sailed in the service of King Charles I of Spain, and was charged with finding a westward route to the “Spice Islands,” which are today a part of Indonesia. His ship completed the voyage, but Magellan did not. He was killed in a conflict with natives in the Philippines. Nevertheless, Magellan is one of the most famous seafarers in history. To get an idea of his influence, consider that Magellan actually named the Pacific Ocean. Fast forward 492 years: A couple of modern …
In sailing, as in other sporting arenas, we love to marvel at the abilities of the true greats, even as we recognize that you don’t have to be on their level to have a great time. The ASA membership is composed of people at all different stages, from pure beginners to the saltiest of veteran sailors. Many consider a solo circumnavigation to be the ultimate cruising feat. This is something most of us would never dream of attempting, for any number of reasons: Money, Time, Skill, or Sanity! However, this doesn’t stop us from admiring those who can and do …