Jessica Watson rounds Cape Horn

Jessica is the 16-year-old Australian teenager attempting the record for the youngest solocircumnavigation of the globe in her bright pink yacht. Last night she passed a massive milestone, rounding Cape Horn – generally considered to be the greatest navigational challenge of the journey. I have to say I had my doubts about whether she would make it, but having come this far her chances are looking pretty good!

Jesse has a lot of things making the journey easier for her than it would have been for previous record holders. She gets daily weather forecasts and navigation advice from contacts in New Zealand. She can contact her mum by sat phone whenever she wants. She has a laptop connecting her with thousands of people who leave comments and messages of support on her blog. The technology she has on the ship is quite incredible and means that she rarely has to steer by hand. At first this seemed to me like cheating, but now I don’t suppose it matters so much. Record breaking is more often than not about pushing the limits with new technology, rather than being born stronger or faster or better. Just look at the way that new swimsuits are making a mockery of old records, and new designs have to be constantly banned because they are making record breaking too easy. The whole endeavour is futile. Technology as part of record breaking should be embraced, even celebrated. Otherwise what you are really saying is that the advancement of human achievement is down to better genes and the refinement of the human race, rather than the obvious truth, which is that new creations are driving us.

That said, a very small number of teenagers would have the guts or ability to do what Jessica is doing, even with the assistance and equipment she has. Check out her blog for lessons in her unique kind of determination and optimism – she really is a remarkable girl. Best of luck to her for the rest of the trip!