Teen sailor Laura Dekker is leaving the Netherlands today, hoping to become the world’s youngest sailor to circumnavigate the globe alone.
Laura wrote on her blog that she will sail with her father to Portugal Wednesday, where she intends to begin her round-the-world adventure.
Last week, Laura won a battle against Dutch child protection agencies who prevented her from attempting to make the trip last year, when she was just 13.
“It’s great that I can now officially say it will happen on Wednesday,” Laura wrote.
Laura is attempting to beat the record set last May by Australian Jessica Watson, who completed a 210 day solo voyage around the world at just 16, in her 34 foot yacht, Ella’s Pink Lady.
In preparation for her journey, Laura got a larger, sturdier sail boat, took courses in first aid, learned to suture her own wounds, and practiced coping with sleep deprivation, Yahoo News reports. She made at least one solo trip to England across the North Sea.
While Jessica Watson remained at sea non-stop during her record setting voyage, Laura plans to stop at several ports along the way to meet up with family and rest.
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