I largely agree with Bronwyn. The motivation for this exercise seems to be more about the mariner being young and female than about the challenge involved.

I do think some sort of waiver should be included if she needs to be rescued. As mentioned above, if the parentals can fit their teenager out with a yacht, they can afford to pay for the outcome of the expedition.

Shouldn't this girl be at school. If this stunt comes off she would be some sort of a hero, if it dont and ends in tragetty, she would be a first class idiot. I don't see any gains in this at all, the risks surely outweigh the gains.
A 16 year old is far to young, her parents need looking into. There has to be more behind this than just having the means to be able to do it.

Gad , I'm agreeing with Bronwyn again.

I worry that if a man I know, ex SAS had problems with pirates what price a 16 yo girl in a floating pink neon sign.
I wonder about the cost to bail her out of trouble or any lone yachts-person, for that matter .
Bullimore cost us 6-10 million. For what was an ego trip. That could have paid for a lot of help to the poor and destitute or research into something that would've benefited Aust.
Are the parents going to be able to cope or pay if the worst does happen? I doubt it.
As an adolescent, statistically she doesn't have a fully matured frontal cortex which controls reasoning. While she may be the exception I worry that this could be used as a example for other 16yo get e measured by, as CJ put it a shining example.....

I don't see how the exception is a shining example of anything but that exception.

To me this is an example of our twisted values. She gets all the publicity and sponsorship up to her earholes if she get back.
Yet the 4 average students that raised 4 million for charity get one headline and bye.

Notwithstanding the above she's entitled to waste her dad's money anyway they approve of. I'm just not interested in the hype or the stunt.

examinator

<< Gad , I'm agreeing with Bronwyn again. >>

:)

Don't know why you have to sound so worried about it!

Actually, I can't recall any issue where we've disagreed, but I guess there has been one somewhere along the line.

Of course she should go ahead.

Which of us would not welcome such an adventure in our lives, if only we had thought to do so when we had the opportunity?

The idea that some jumped-up clerk in State Government can decide whether or not you can go sailing, is utterly abhorrent to me.

Yet another sign that we are losing our every freedom, one by one, to a bunch of nay-saying cardigans.

What have we done to deserve to be ordered about by such a bunch of sad killjoys?

Gawd, I agree with CJMorgan!{down boy...}

Good luck to her. If it works out, fantastic; if it doesn't, she'll have had a go. If taxpayers have to foot the bill, so what?

If she gets killed, too bad.

There are no dress rehearsals in this life and that means that we have to take every opportunity to have a go at whatever is on offer. Fear and trepidation are often the best signs that something is worth doing.