Jessica Watson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jessica Watson
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Watson in Düsseldorf, Germany, in 2011
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Jessica Watson
18 May 1993 Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
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| Occupation | Sailor |
| Awards | Australian Sailing Hall of Fame |
Jessica Watson is a famous Australian sailor. When she was just 16 years old, she tried to sail solo around the world without stopping. She sailed all the way around the planet, but her route didn't cover the full distance required for an official world record.
Even so, her amazing journey made her a hero in Australia. She was named the 2011 Young Australian of the Year and received the Medal of the Order of Australia. She was recognized for her incredible achievement and for being a role model for young people. A movie about her adventure, called True Spirit, was released on Netflix in 2023.
Contents
Early Life and a Big Dream
Jessica Watson was born on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. She is the second of four children. Her parents, Roger and Julie Watson, were from New Zealand and moved to Australia before she was born. Because of this, Jessica has citizenship in both Australia and New Zealand.
Jessica and her siblings all learned to sail when they were young. For five years, their family lived on a large boat, and the children were home-schooled. When Jessica was 11, her mom read them a book called Lionheart: A Journey of the Human Spirit by Jesse Martin, another young sailor who sailed around the world. This story inspired Jessica. At age 12, she decided she wanted to do the same thing.
The Great Voyage
To officially sail around the world, a sailor must start and end at the same place, cross all lines of longitude, and cross the Equator. The total distance must be at least 21,600 nautical miles (about 40,000 kilometers).
Jessica's plan was to sail non-stop and unassisted. This meant she couldn't receive any physical help or items from anyone. She also couldn't stop at any port or tie up to another boat. However, she was allowed to get advice over the radio.
Her journey began in Sydney, Australia. She sailed past New Zealand, Fiji, and Kiribati. Then she went around South America's Cape Horn and Africa's Cape of Good Hope before returning to Australia. She arrived back in Sydney Harbour on May 15, 2010, after 210 days at sea.
When asked why she took on such a huge challenge, Jessica said, "I wanted to challenge myself and achieve something to be proud of. And yes, I wanted to inspire people. I hated being judged by my appearance and other people's expectations of what a 'little girl' was capable of."
After her trip, she wrote a book about her adventure called True Spirit. She also filmed a documentary about her journey, which was narrated by Sir Richard Branson.
Getting Ready for the Trip
Training and Skills
Before setting off, Jessica Watson gained a lot of experience. She had sailed about 6,000 miles along coasts and another 6,000 miles in the open ocean. She also completed many safety and training courses, including:
- Offshore safety
- Diesel engine and radar operation
- Sea survival and first aid
- Advanced navigation theory
The Boat: Ella's Pink Lady
Ella's Pink Lady on display at the Australian National Maritime Museum after her voyage.
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| History | |
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 Australia |
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| Name | Ella's Pink Lady |
| Namesake | Ella Baché |
| Owner | Jessica Watson |
| Route | Sydney – Kiritimati – Cape Horn – Cape of Good Hope – Cape Leeuwin – Sydney |
| Launched | 1984 |
| Renamed | Original name Shanty |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | S&S 34 yacht |
| Length | 34 ft (10 m) |
| Beam | 10.1 ft (3.1 m) |
| Draught | 6 ft (1.8 m) |
| Propulsion | Sails |
| Crew | 1 |
Jessica's boat was a 10.23-meter (34-foot) yacht called Ella's Pink Lady. It was a Sparkman & Stephens 34 model, a type of boat known for being very sturdy and reliable. Other famous sailors had used the same kind of boat for their own trips around the world.
The boat was refitted with new equipment, including a new kitchen area and electrical system. Jessica was very involved in preparing her boat for the long journey. She even named her self-steering system "Parker," after a character from the TV show Thunderbirds.
A Scary Test Run
During a practice trip from Brisbane to Sydney, Jessica's boat had a collision. On her first night at sea, Ella's Pink Lady collided with a huge 63,000-tonne ship. The crash broke her boat's mast, but Jessica stayed calm. She was able to control the boat and return to shore safely using her motor.
An investigation found that both Jessica and the crew of the large ship had not kept a proper lookout. The report showed that everyone learned important lessons from the incident.
Sailing Around the World
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Jessica Watson set sail from Sydney Harbour on October 18, 2009. Her boat, Ella's Pink Lady, was bright pink and easy to spot.
She crossed the equator on November 19, 2009, a requirement for circumnavigation. By Christmas, she was near Point Nemo, the most remote place on Earth, farther from land than any other spot.
On January 13, 2010, she successfully sailed around the famous Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America. This was a huge milestone. A week later, she faced a massive storm with 10-meter (33-foot) waves and winds up to 130 km/h (80 mph). Her boat was knocked down several times, meaning the mast hit the water, but she and the boat survived with only minor damage.
On January 25, 2010, she passed the halfway point of her journey. By February 24, she had rounded the Cape of Good Hope in Africa and sailed from the Atlantic into the Indian Ocean.
As she sailed south of Australia, she faced some of the worst weather of her entire trip. The waves were sometimes as high as 12 meters (39 feet). Her boat was knocked down again, but she managed to keep going.
Finally, on May 15, 2010, Jessica Watson sailed back into Sydney Harbour. Thousands of people, including the Prime Minister of Australia, were there to welcome her home. She had been at sea for 210 days. Her 17th birthday was just three days later.
Awards and Recognition
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Jessica's incredible journey earned her many awards.
- She was named the 2010 Young Adventurer of the Year by the Australian Geographic Society.
- National Geographic named her one of its Adventurers of the Year in 2010.
- In 2011, she was named the Young Australian of the Year.
- In 2012, she received the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for her service to sailing and for being a role model.
- In 2022, she was added to the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame.
Life After the Voyage
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After her solo trip, Jessica didn't stop sailing. She competed in several major sailing races, including the famous Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. In 2011, she led the youngest crew ever to compete in the race, and they finished second in their class.
Jessica also went to university to study marketing and communications. In 2015, she began working as a communications manager for Deckee, a website for the boating community.
Her story continues to inspire people around the world to chase their own dreams, no matter how big.
See also
- List of youth solo sailing circumnavigations
- List of female adventurers
