Jessica Watson Heads Into Sydney Harbour (Photo by Martin Pryor)
Solo teen sailor Jessica Watson says she’s not a hero, but just ‘‘an ordinary girl who had a dream’’.
The 16-year-old was welcomed by thousands of cheering people at the Opera House and on a flotilla of boats crowding Sydney Harbour just before 3pm this afternoon after a 210-day round-the-world voyage.
‘‘It’s completely overwhelming right now,’’ she said as thousands whistled and clapped while others chanted ‘‘Aussie, Aussie, Aussie … Oi, oi, oi!’’.
Jessica Watson Escorted Into Sydney (Photo by Martin Pryor)
‘‘There was nothing out there … and there’s absolutely everything now.’’
The harbour was turned into a spectacular reception area, as hundreds of boats crammed into the narrow waters to greet the young adventurer on her small, pink yacht.
She had left Sydney in October, sailing in sometimes difficult conditions through the Pacific, across the equator, past Cape Horn in South America, across the Atlantic, past the Cape of Good Hope, through the Indian Ocean before returning to Australian waters.
Fellow solo sailors West Australian Jesse Martin and English teen Mike Perham helped Watson take her yacht in after she crossed the finish line, as an aeroplane wrote her name ‘‘Jessica’’ in white smoke in the sky.
Fears that Watson would struggle to walk after such a long time at sea were unfounded, as she made her way up a pink carpet to the Opera House forecourt with her family, wearing a broad grin and looking none the worse for her epic voyage.
She was met by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who hailed her as “Australia’s newest hero”.
“You do our nation proud,” he said. “You are a hero for young Australians … and young Australian women.”
But Watson said she had to disagree with Mr Rudd as “I don’t consider myself a hero”.
“I’m an ordinary girl who had a dream. You just have to have a dream and set your mind to it.’’
Confident and relaxed, Watson was even able to throw in a joke or two. ‘‘It was tough,’’ she said when asked how it felt to leave her yacht.
‘‘Stepping off was so strange, because for the last seven months, I was doing everything to stay on board,’’ she said as the crowd laughed. ‘You can achieve anything’
The Queenslander was quick to emphasise how young people – especially girls – could achieve anything ‘‘if you want it enough’’. ‘‘People don’t realise … what girls are made of,’’ she said.
‘‘When you take away those expectations, it’s amazing what you can achieve.’’
She added at a press conference later that people ‘‘just need the passion to want something bad enough and a way to make it happen’’.
Jessica Watson On Ella's Pink Lady (Photo by Martin Pryor)
Thanks to Martin Pryor for waiting hours for Jessica’s arrival to get these photos.
See Video Of Jessica Here
She’s been at sea for seven months, but Jessica Watson’s incredible journey has just a little longer to go.
After 210 days at sea, Jessica Watson’s boat Ella’s Pink Lady is almost at Sydney Heads, where she will be greeted by thousands of people on the city’s harbour, including Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, the NSW Premier and her family and friends.
Jessica Watson
Ellen MacArthur (Photo by George Bekris)
2007
• June 2007: Took line honours in JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island in new high-tech Extreme 40 catamaran. Crossed the line just after 0818 hours, completing the course in 4 hours 6 minutes 3 seconds.
2005
• Feb 2005 – Sets a new solo non-stop round the world record of 71 Days, 14 hours, 18 minutes, 33 seconds (on board 75ft Trimaran B&Q)
• New SNSM (St Nazaire to St Malo) crewed maxi record set on board B&Q. New record stands 1 Day, 3 hours. 23 minutes, 29 seconds.
• 2nd Transat Jacques Vabre 2005 with Roland Jourdain (aka Bilou) on board Open 60 Sill et Veolia
2004
* January – Launch of new 75-foot B&Q trimaran on 8.1.04 in Sydney, Australia.
* March-April – Delivery trip of new trimaran from New Zealand via Australia and the Falklands Islands. Leaving the delivery crew at the Falklands, Ellen sailed B&Q solo to New York.
* June – Solo transatlantic record attempt on board B&Q missing the record by just 75 minutes in a time of 7 days, 3 hours, 49 minutes, 57 seconds.
• November – Departs 28.11.04 at 0810GMT on solo round the world record attempt onboard the 75ft trimaran B&Q. Finishes at 22:29:17GMTT on 7.2.05 setting a new record of 71 days, 14 hours, 18 mins and 33 secs taking 8 hours, 35 mins and 49 secs off the previous record time of Francis Joyon. B&Q sailed 27,354 miles at an average speed of 15.9 knots.
2002
* January – Ellen MacArthur and Kingfisher plc announce five year plan to include Jules Verne record attempt and culminating in the solo Route du Rhum race in November 2006.
* 9-23 November – Route du Rhum solo transatlantic race from St Malo to Guadeloupe on board ‘Kingfisher’. Result: 1st in Open 60 class (13 days, 13 hours, 31 mins, 47 secs) setting a new monohull record.
2001
* May – Challenge Mondial Assistance on board 60ft trimaran ‘Foncia-Kingfisher’ with co-skipper Alain Gautier.
* 3 July-25 August – EDS Atlantic Challenge crewed five leg race from St Malo with stops at Hamburg, Portsmouth, Baltimore, Boston on board ‘Kingfisher’ with co-skipper Nick Moloney. Result: 1st place overall.
Also on 60ft trimaran KINGFISHER-FONCIA during 2001 season:
* 30 April-5 May – Trophee Coralia at Fecamp. Result: 2nd19-24 June – Sardinia Grand Prix.
* 30 Aug-2 September – Fecamp Grand Prix. Result: 1st.
* 11-16 September – Zebrugge Grand Prix. Result: 2nd.
* 4th November – Transat Jacques Vabre two-handed transatlantic race from Le Havre to Salvador de Bahia, Brazil with co-skipper Alain Gautier. Result: 2nd in the ORMA 60 class.
1998
* February – Teamed up with Mark Turner at Offshore Challenges.
* November – Route du Rhum solo transatlantic race from St Malo to Guadeloupe on board Open 50ft monohull ‘Kingfisher’. Result: 1st in Open 50 class (20 days, 11 hours, 44 mins, 49 secs).
1997
* Mini Transat single-handed transatlantic race in 26-foot boats. Result: 17th overall.
1996
* First transatlantic passage leaving Newport, Rhode Island (USA) on Ellen’s 20th birthday.
* First transatlantic race in the Quebec-St Malo. Result: 3rd in class.
1995
* BT/YJA Young Sailor of Year award.
* Sailed ‘Iduna’ single-handed around Great Britain.
1994
* Debut into full-time yachting, working on an Open 60ft yacht and teaching sailing to adults at the David King Nautical School in Hull.
* Achieved RYA Yachtmaster and Instructor’s ticket, aged 18 (exceptionally young).
Pre-1994
*Aged four, began sailing with aunt on ‘Cabaret’, all spare time reading sailing books.
* Started saving school dinner money at the age of eight to buy her first boat.
* First boat at 13 (‘Threpenny Bit’, dinghy), second at 15 (‘Kestrel’, small keelboat), then third at 17 (‘Iduna’, 21-foot Corribee).
Accolades
. BT/YJA Young Sailor of the Year January 1995
. ISAF World Champion election of Woman Sailor of the Year by 113 sailing Federations throughout the world. Awarded 14.11.01
. “The Cup of the Chief of Staff of the French Navy” awarded 30.11.01
. FICO World Champion ranked by number of points obtained in the year’s ocean races awarded 7.12.01
. BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards overall runner-up (2nd place to David Beckham) plus ‘Helen Rollason Award’ awarded 9.12.01
. ‘Sunday Times Woman of the Year’ awarded 11.12.01
. MBE awarded 12.12.01 at Buckingham Palace by Queen
. Nomination for the title of “Femme en Or” (“Golden Woman”) sport-adventure in France election on 15.12.01
. YJA Yachtsman of the Year January 2002
. Listed in Time magazine 100 Heroes & Icons 2005
. DBE awarded 24.04.05 at Buckingham Palace by Queen
. Alternative Sportsperson of the Year 2005 – Laureus Sports Awards, May 2005
. ISAF Female Sailor of the Year 2005
. BBC South Yachtsperson of the Year 2005
. BBC East Midlands Sportswoman and Sports Personality of the Year 2005
. BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards overall runner-up (2nd place to Andrew Flintoff) December 2005
