Teenage Dutch sailor Laura Dekker, who is attempting to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world, resumed her voyage, according to media reports.
Writing on her blog Friday, Dekker said she has sailed 240 nautical miles since she left Spain’s Canary Islands last Wednesday and has 540 nautical miles to go to reach her next port of call, the Cape Verde Islands, off West Africa.
The 15-year-old started her trip from Gibraltar Aug. 21 aboard her 38-foot ketch, Guppy, and has spent two months in the Canary Islands waiting for the hurricane season to pass.
Dekker’s venture stirred an intense debate about whether young people should be allowed to sail the world’s oceans alone. A Dutch court originally blocked the voyage and only allowed her to set off after she took measures to manage the risks.
Her circumnavigation attempt started two months after Abby Sunderland, a 16-year-old American, had to be rescued in a remote section of the Indian Ocean during an attempt to circle the globe. Earlier this year Jessica Watson of Australia completed a 210-day voyage at age 16.
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