Illustration by Greg Murphy, Courtesy of Google Earth
It's challenging enough to round a mark in a sailboat race, but at least it is usually over quickly. When the downwind mark to be rounded is an island, it takes a few tacks, a jybe and many more tacks if the wind and currents aren't cooperative.
That's been the situation for Jessica Watson and Ella's Pink Lady as she rounded her turning point to head back down toward the equator on the second major leg of her circumnavigation.
While much attention has been paid by media on her crossing of the equator, her rounding of Kiritimati is much more significant to a sailor. Commenting on the sailing skills required for this, a spokesman on her website said: "“Jessica has displayed really impressive seamanship and patience in rounding this landmark. The wind conditions have not been favorable for her, with headwinds and strong currents, so it has been a very challenging few days. But we have all been so impressed with the manner in which she has gone about this rounding. She kept well clear of the island and did not take any short cuts.”
With favorable east-southeast winds, Jessica's S&S 34 is moving along well southbound and should cross the equator again later today. Once she enters the southern oceans after crossing, she will be in the southern hemisphere for the remaining 19,000 plus nautical miles of her circumnavigation.
Jessica Watson has completed her first leg on an attempt to become the youngest person to circumnavigate solo, unassisted and non-stop. She is currently headed to a rounding of Cape Horn - a voyage of 5,000 plus nautical miles that is estimated to take 38 days.
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