Sailing Anarchy has something to say about Jessica Watson and the powers that be...
"what bullshit ... As you know, we loath the officious way much of this sport is run, and we speak out about it whenever warranted. So when we heard that Jessica Watson will be denied world record status of being the youngest person to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around the world, we took a look at it and are calling bullshit, not only on the facts, but the whiners who are complaining about Watson.I could not have said it better myself as Sailing Anarchy said it so well!
"It turns out that in order to meet the strict criteria of the record, she had to sail 21,600 miles, but apparently is going to come up short of that. So what? Did she not 'start and return from the same port, cross all meridians of longitude and cross the equator, as required to complete her journey'? The answer is yes, yes and yes. Yet in order to claim the record, she needed to add some 2,000 miles to her tally, miles which are extraneous, unnecessary and a perfect example of the officious aspect of which we speak.
"And we find it ridiculous that the wank from sail world is squawking the loudest about Watson's record not being valid. How about instead of whining like a little bitch about that the the 'official' rules were not met, just call it for what it is - she's the youngest to do what she did. Celebrate it, call it a record, and stop acting like a douche. A tall order, we know.
"But who cares what he says? We think, and we bet most of you do too, that Jessica kicked ass, will meet the definitions of being the youngest person to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around the world, and deserves official recognition for it. Screw the wankers who claim otherwise."
RLW
