Jessica Watson is homeward bound

Jessica Watson’s voyage and record breaking attempt to be the youngest person to sail solo around the world is gathering pace.

She is now on the final leg of her voyage as she sails past the 16,500 nautical mile mark of her trip. With only 5000nm remaining, it is now destination Sydney with Jessica aiming to sail into Sydney Harbour in early May. This is quite a feat in itself, as prior to her journey Jessica had only clocked up some 10,000 nm in sailing experience in total.

She is currently heading east across the Indian Ocean. This region is a notorious section of open seas and has challenged many a seasoned sailor. With this in mind, Jessica continues to show the strength and courage which has taken her this far.

“I know it might sound a bit cliché, but I’m just taking it one day at time and taking each challenge as it presents itself ”, said Jessica.

This recent milestone is yet another feather in the cap of 16 year old Jessica, who was both pleased and surprised at how fast and how far she has come in just over 5 months.

And of the little Yanmar engine at the heart of Ella’s Pink Lady, Jessica says “The Yanmar engine has really proved itself and has never once not fired up first go”.

Additional to the Yanmar 3YM30 powering the vessel, it also has a two blade Gori folding propeller, which has more than impressed Jessica with its performance. When speaking with her shore crew, Jessica said “The Gori propeller just handles so well, it doesn’t matter how big or small the seas are, it just gives me great peace of mind knowing I have such a strong propeller under me”.

As Jessica’s journey continues, the next big milestone will be Cape Leeuwin, which is located on the most Southern Westerly tip of Australia, where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet. From there it’s on to Sydney Harbour, her own bed and a home cooked meal.

Jessica’s journey is expected to conclude in May this year, but this is highly dependent on conditions. Either way, she has achieved a great deal more than most at 16 years.

For further information on Jessica’s journey visit www.jessicawatson.com.au

Power Equipment is the exclusive and authorised Australian, NZ, PNG and South Pacific distributor of Yanmar Marine and Industrial diesel engines importing product from Yanmar plants in Japan, Asia, USA and Europe.  Power Equipment is also the authorised distributor of JCB DieselMax engines for both Australia and New Zealand.   Power Equipment distributes the Yanmar powered MASE diesel marine generators range and Gori high quality folding sailboat propellers.