Laura Dekker Close to Breaking Record

You may remember in August last year the young yachtswoman Laura Dekker set off from Ocean Village with the aim of becoming the youngest person ever to circumnavigate the globe. Her voyage was somewhat controversial with legal moves made to try to stop the 14 year old embarking on her voyage.

Now 16, she has spent more than a year sailing the ocean on her 39-foot ketch, named “Guppy.”

Dekker, who has taken several breaks on land during her voyage, told Australian TV she doesn’t mind the solitude of her boat.

“I’m totally used to it,” she said. “For me, it’s really normal!”

Dekker’s father has been quoted as saying she could complete her trip as soon as this February or March. For now, after successfully crossing the Indian Ocean, Dekker’s voyage has taken her to South Africa, where she recently ventured off the  Guppy and regained her land legs to take in the sights at a nature preserve in Port Elizabeth.  Read about her travels at her blog.