jessica watson yacht type

Where is Jess Watson’s Boat Pink Lady Now?

The most valuable possession of a sailor is their boat, and the same applies to Jessica”Jess” Watson . At 16, the young Australian sailor became the youngest to complete a solo non-stop circumnavigation of the world. Apart from her family and mentors, the one who played the most crucial role in her journey was her boat, Ella’s Pink Lady. The challenging experiences Jessica and her pink-hulled vessel faced during their 210-day-long voltage have been intricately explored in Netflix’s ‘ True Spirit ,’ a touching adventure drama biopic on the sailor’s experiences. If you enjoyed Jessica’s story and wish to learn more about her boat and its current whereabouts, here’s what we found!

Which Boat Did Jessica Watson Have?

A 10.23 meter-long model S&S 34 sailboat manufactured by the American company Sparkman & Stephens, Ella’s Pink Lady was the vessel Jessica Watson used for her global voyage in 2009. Interestingly, it was the same design used by renowned sailors, including her childhood idol, Jesse Martin. Jessica’s mentors, Don McIntyre and Bruce Arms helped her obtain the model and had it refitted with new equipment under their supervision. New additions included a complete rebuild of its electrical system, a new galley, and reconditioned diesel and water tanks.

Not just that, the boat had a well-equipped satellite communication system and a watermaker that allowed the sailor to produce potable water. Given the boat’s pink-colored hull and one of Jessica’s sponsors being the French skincare brand Ella Baché, she named it Ella’s Pink Lady. Moreover, the sailing vessel had a self-steering wind vane system. To make it feel more personalized, Jessica named the system “Parker,” after the eponymous character from the TV show, ‘Thunderbirds.’

Parker drives a pink Rolls-Royce in the series, and the young sailor found this commonality with her boat interesting. Unfortunately, during a test run in September 2009, Ella’s Pink lady collided with a 63,000-tonne bulk carrier, causing it to get dismasted. Luckily, Jessica escaped unscathed, but the boat required heavy repairs. It was then sent to the Gold Coast City Marina, where several damages were undone with aid from sponsors.

This included damage to the hull, deck, and chain plate, re-painting the damaged areas, replacing and repairing the damaged stanchions, lifelines, and bow roller, and replacing damaged navigation lights. In addition, the sponsor logos were refitted to the starboard side. Finally, the new mast and replacement rigging were fitted, and the boat was made as good as new for Jessica to commence her journey. After she set sail on October 10, 2009, she faced numerous difficulties, including rough weather, dangerous storms, and seven knockdowns.

But because Ella’s Pink Lady was a sturdy and reliable boat, Jessica completed her journey by May 15, 2010, without any significant damages. Since she was herself trained in boat maintenance and repair, she noted in her blog all the repairs she had carried out in those 210 days. Not just did Jessica repair the battery monitor, the stove, kettle, toilet, and mainsail, but she also replaced the wind generator blades and the engine’s fuel pump of the engine. Yet, despite all these repairs and difficulties, Ella’s Pink Lady stood by its owner like a worthy companion for 23,000 nautical miles.

Jessica Watson’s Boat Now Resides at the Queensland Maritime Museum

Following Jessica Watson’s glorious return to Sydney in May 2010, Ella’s Pink Lady became a sort of national treasure, with several concerns about its future. After much deliberation, the state and federal governments came together in April 2011 and jointly purchased the yacht for $300,000. It was then stationed at the Queensland Maritime Museum in Brisbane, while volunteers also built a replica of its cabin for visitors. Since then, the yacht has been a permanent part of the museum’s exhibits, with visitors flocking each year to admire and honor Jessica’s journey.

Unfortunately, news emerged in 2020 that Elle’s Pink Lady was in poor condition due to a lack of maintenance. Museum officials also stated that it had become devalued, and despite its historical relevance, there were no prospective buyers ready to pay a premium. Regardless, Jessica’s yacht still remains for visitors to see at the museum and will always be a pivotal part of her and Australia’s maritime history.

Read More:  Roger and Julie Watson: Where are Jessica Watson’s Parents Now?

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The true story of True Spirit : What really happened on Jessica Watson's solo sail around the world

EW breaks down fact vs. fiction in Netflix's inspiring movie based on the incredible true story of the 16-year-old who attempted to become the youngest person to sail alone around the world.

Sydney Bucksbaum is a writer at Entertainment Weekly covering all things pop culture – but TV is her one true love. She currently lives in Los Angeles but grew up in Chicago so please don't make fun of her accent when it slips out.

Warning: This article contains spoilers about True Spirit, now streaming on Netflix.

True Spirit , Netflix's latest book-to-movie adaptation, is an inspiring tale about Jessica Watson, a teen who endeavors to become the youngest person to sail alone, nonstop, and unassisted around the world. Starring Titan 's Teagan Croft and based on the book of the same name, the film follows her harrowing journey as she attempts to sail 23,000 nautical miles around the globe in 8 months — something no other 16-year-old had ever accomplished before. But what makes it even more amazing is that it actually happened in real life.

Below, EW breaks down the biggest moments from the film and the true story behind them.

Is Jessica Watson a real person?

Yes! Watson exists, and she wrote the book about her own experience circumnavigating the globe upon which the movie is based. "There's so many layers of emotion in it for me," Watson tells EW of watching the film for the first time. "It's amazing, and Teagan's performance is extraordinary. It's me, but it's also something else, which I just love."

After playing half-demon empath Raven on the DC Comics series Titans for years, Croft was excited to finally take on a role closer to home. "Playing Raven on Titans , it's purple hair, very sullen," she says. "And the [ True Spirit ] producers needed to double-check that I wasn't like that in real life, that I'd be able to play Jess. I cracked a couple jokes, made a couple remarks, and they saw I'd be able to pull off perky. It's much more in my wheelhouse. And being able to act in my own accent was something I hadn't had the opportunity to do before. It was nice to have that burden lifted."

Watson and Croft met in person for the first time over dinner before the movie began filming, and they had a conversation with director Sarah Spillane about how the onscreen version of Watson wouldn't just be an imitation. "Then we also went sailing the next day altogether, and we met a few times up after that," Croft says. "It was so weird and awkward at first. I felt a weird guilt, like, 'Hello, I'm playing you.' But she was so lovely about it, and we get on really well now."

Did she really attempt to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world?

She sure did — Watson, now 29, departed from Sydney, Australia,, on Oct. 18, 2009, and returned on May 15, 2010, just before her 17th birthday.

Did she succeed?

Well, it's complicated and depends on who you ask. Watson sailed an estimated 18,582 nautical miles, crossing through the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans, all on her own and without stopping. But ultimately, the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC) ruled that Watson was ineligible for the record, having traveled just short of the minimum 21,600 nautical miles necessary to claim circumnavigation of the globe. In response to the decision and criticism, Watson wrote on her blog at the time, "If I haven't been sailing around the world, then it beats me what I've been doing out here all this time!"

The movie notably doesn't mention the controversy about whether or not she earned the title of the youngest person to sail solo, nonstop, and unassisted around the world. Once she returns to Sydney Harbour amid a massive celebration, the credits roll immediately. "The movie and what Jess is all about is not about the record," Croft says. "That's not what drove her. That's not what she was sailing for. She was sailing for the love of it. The point of the movie is about this girl who had a goal that was crazy and dangerous, and what she did was incredible."

"The thing is, it's a bit of an invented controversy because there actually is no record," Watson tells EW. "There's no 'youngest' record because the body that does official sailing records doesn't recognize youngest records, which is understandable. So I don't really understand how there can be controversy over a record that doesn't exist. The voyage and the way I sailed around the world was very similar to what other people did, but there's actually no official rules, so it's a bit hard to not comply with rules that don't quite exist."

All these years later, Watson isn't concerned about any official records or titles. "It really doesn't worry me because it was about the adventure," she adds. "But also, gosh, people really feel the need to add some drama or find a way to almost diminish it slightly. And I'm like, 'Cool, you guys do that. I'm cool with that.' Maybe I think about it too simplistically, but I'm just like, 'Why are we arguing about the number of nautical miles for a record that doesn't exist?' There is no set nautical miles. You can't argue over a rule that doesn't exist."

Did all the characters in the movie exist?

All except for two — and those two were still based on real people. In the film, Avatar : The Way of the Water 's Cliff Curtis plays her sailing coach Ben, but Watson reveals he was just a "beautiful representation of a few people who otherwise wouldn't have been able to be portrayed," from the crew who helped her repair her boat to the group of people advising her over the phone about the weather during her voyage and more.

Her parents were pretty much exactly as they appear in the movie, played by Anna Paquin and Josh Lawson . "Mum was the one who firstly read me Jesse Martin's book from the get-go, which was what inspired me to do this," Watson says. "She had the same curiosity and inspiration for the voyage as me, whereas dad really didn't believe it was going to happen for much longer. And then, obviously, he was quite reluctant, as you see. That is probably pretty accurate in terms of mom and dad's dynamic."

Croft struggled the most filming the scenes where Jessica talks to her family over the phone during her journey. "At that point, the other actors were gone, and it was just me, so sometimes that was really difficult to get into the scene," she says. "But what was lucky in a twisted way was that COVID was really big in Australia at that time, and so the borders between my home state and the state we were filming in had closed. I'd just come from filming Titans , I hadn't seen my sisters or my dad for seven months by the end of shooting True Spirit , so I was able to pull a real, genuine emotion from my real life from the real phone calls I was having."

Watson adds that the reporter, played by Todd Lasance, was fictional but represents all of the members of the media who were aggressively and publicly criticizing her plans. "There were some that were pretty damn similar to him," she adds with a laugh. "I was protected slightly from some of the intensity of it at the time because I was just so single-mindedly focused on this thing, which you need to be to do something like that. It was my team and my poor family who caught the worst of that, but it was intense."

She continues, "I can really understand where people were coming from, and it's kind of beautiful that there was so much concern. But at the same time, I don't think people really understood that there had been years and years of preparation. And this is a really safe boat, it's done this a number of times. It's not as crazy as it seems if you've got no idea about that world."

Did her pre-voyage trial run really end in a massive collision?

Unfortunately, yes. Watson forgot to turn on the proximity alarms before taking a quick nap, and a few minutes later, her boat (named Ella's Pink Lady), crashed into a cargo ship. "That collision scene's one of the ones that's really accurate, so that one's pretty intense for me," Watson says. "That was something I still have the occasional nightmare about, but it's so important to the story. It really made me in a way because having to go through that and find the strength to continue really set me up for being able to deal with the storms at sea."

Did she really leave her hairbrush at home?

In a moment of levity in the movie, Jessica realizes she forgot to pack a hairbrush for her long journey and tapes two forks together to detangle her hair for months. That did happen ... but not on her long trip around the world. "That happened on a sea trial," Watson admits. "So not quite the whole voyage. And actually, I got the idea from Jesse Martin who did forget his hairbrush for his trip and used a fork."

Did she battle dyslexia during her journey?

Watson is dyslexic in real life, and she loves how the movie accurately portrays the struggles she faced whenever she got stressed and messed up her longitude and latitude coordinates. "So many people can relate to this, and it's not far off from my reality," Watson says, before admitting with a laugh, "I mean, I like to think that I was never that bad with my lats and longs and getting muddled up. But at the same time, it's also based on the truth that mum did used to call me out when I'm tired or flustered, and I was getting stuff like that wrong."

Did she get knocked out during a storm?

In the first big storm she faces at sea, Jessica is hit in the head with a frying pan and gets knocked out. But it turns out that entire scene was made up for the movie. "I feel bad calling out some of the things that weren't quite true, but no, no frying pan," Watson says. "Although there was legitimate danger with stuff flying around inside the boat in a storm — household everyday objects become deadly. Keeping your cabin tidy is something I should have been better at."

Did her boat get stuck for a week without any wind?

In the movie, Jessica hits an emotional low point when there's no breeze for an entire week. She gets frustrated and ends up arguing with Ben over the radio. That was all fictionalized for the film but was based on real emotions Watson felt throughout her trip. "In reality, you never get such long stretches without wind," she says. "Often, it's more like a couple of days. And even within that, you might get a few puffs along the way. It is, however, very true to what that experience is like for a sailor, how incredibly frustrating it is to just be at the mercy of the elements and just waiting for the wind to come back. There's nothing you can do. Emotionally, they were some of the really tough days out there."

Did a massive storm temporarily sink her boat?

Onscreen, Jessica's journey ends with her biggest test yet, as multiple major storms merged into one. The giant waves flip her boat upside down, and she gets stuck 15 ft. underwater for an extended period of time. It's a terrifying scene, and it turns out, the movie version isn't even the full story.

"There were seven knockdowns," Watson reveals. "Not all of them were quite that bad. A lot of the time, it's just the boat being knocked over. But the 15 ft. underwater is real because my emergency beacon did self-activate as the boat sank. That happened. But the time I was upside down for, it certainly felt like a long time. I haven't really got a concept of how long it was in reality, but we are talking seconds compared to what we see in the movie, which stretches on forever in minutes and minutes and minutes. That's a little bit of an exaggeration there, but it was real to the experience of it feeling like forever."

Was her return to Sydney as epic as it appeared?

Absolutely! When Jessica arrives in Sydney Harbour at the end of her journey, it looks like all of Australia came to celebrate her accomplishment. And as the credits roll, real footage from that moment plays, showing the real Watson reuniting with her family. Incredibly, a young Croft was there in attendance that day.

"I was actually there in Sydney Harbour when she came in, but I'd forgotten since I was only six," Croft says. "When I came across this script, my parents were like, 'We were there!' I've been trying to figure out where we were in the crowd to see if you can see me in that footage. Maybe I'm there in a little pink skirt or something ridiculous."

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Jessica Watson: the true story of True Spirit star’s voyage

• Helen Fretter
• March 3, 2023

Jessica Watson talks to Helen Fretter about what her round the world journey was really like and how accurate the Netflix film True Spirit is

In the late Noughties and early 2010s, sailing garnered astonishing levels of attention due to a series of teenagers bidding to become the youngest sailor to sail around the world. One of the most high profile was Jessica Watson, who set off from Sydney in 2009 aged 16, and completed her loop of Antarctica – and a dip north across the Equator in the Pacific – to return an all-Australian hero after 210 days at sea .

It was a remarkable story, much of which was told in real time in Watson’s blog and video diaries. Thirteen years on, Netflix has made a feature-length sailing film based on her voyage, called True Spirit . Following the film’s release in the UK, we spoke to Watson about the experience.

True Spirit is available to watch on Netflix worldwide

Jessica Watson in the spotlight

In the film version of True Spirit viewers are introduced to the teenage Jessica Watson aboard her S&S 34 Ella’s Pink Lady on a trial solo sail, when a violent collision with a 63,000 tonne cargo ship off Queensland leaves the yacht dismasted, and both Watson and her family ashore shaken.

It’s the same opening scene Watson begins her autobiography with, and it’s as shocking to watch as it is to read her written account: “I grabbed at the tiller, flicked off the autopilot and tried to steer us. It was hopeless.

“There was nowhere to go, nothing I could do. Shuddering and screeching, we were being swept down the ship’s hull. A glance told me that the ship’s stern, with its bridges protruding, was fast approaching. The noises were getting louder and, knowing that the mast and rigging were about to come down, I rushed back below hoping for some protection.

“The cupboard next to me ripped apart as the chainplate behind the bulkhead splintered it into a million pieces. The boat heeled to one side then suddenly sprung upright with the loudest explosion yet as the entangled rigging suddenly freed itself and crashed to the deck.”

While the collision would be a terrifying experience for anyone to go through, let alone a teenager on their own, the film highlights how the media storm that met her ashore was even more intimidating. Many commentators questioned the judgement of Watson’s parents, an additional pressure which the film captures neatly.

Watson, now 30, admits that the prospect of being the centre of attention once again with the film’s launch didn’t entirely fill her with joy. “I certainly went into this with mixed emotions. I enjoy my life, I like not being recognised very often, and so there was a bit of trepidation. But at the same time, I’m just so grateful and hopefully this is good for sailing.”

An ethical dilemma

The teen solo sailor trend was a remarkable phenomenon. Australian Jesse Martin was one of the earliest, when he completed a non-stop, unassisted solo around the world voyage to and from Melbourne in 1999 aged 18. Martin recounted the trip in his S&S 34 Lionheart, also the title of his book, which was a major influence and source of inspiration for Watson.

With increasing unease and debate on the ethics of encouraging young teens to take on such potentially dangerous challenges, both within the sport of sailing and across newspaper columns and chat-show sofas around the world, the World Sailing Speed Record Council discontinued recognition of its ‘youngest’ sailor category. Martin has since remained the perpetual record holder, despite the flurry of much younger skippers which followed.

Jessica Watson (right) with actor Teagan Croft who played her in the film adaptation. Photo: Everett Collection Inc/Alamy

Much of the debate ignored the fact that the teenagers were often extraordinarily experienced yachtsmen from remarkable families. Certainly that was the case for Dutch sailor Laura Dekker , as well as American brother and sister Zac and Abby Sunderland, who both attempted circumnavigations (Zac successfully, Abby’s Open 40 was dismasted).

Jessica Watson also had a fairly nomadic childhood with years spent living on boats or converted buses. Ironically, her father had a television hire company but the Watson family never owned one, as she recalled in her autobiography: “I think Dad saw how dependent people became on them and how they restricted the lives of their owners – keeping them inside and inactive – and he decided he didn’t ever want to be like that.”

The Watson family’s unconventionality gets a little lost in the film, so keen were directors and scriptwriters to make them relatable, and show the toll Jessica’s attempt took as an emotional undercurrent tugging throughout the film. For Jessica herself, however, the family storyline was a powerful one to watch.

“Seeing the emotional experience that [my family] went through is pretty intense. I think I’ve appreciated it better in the years since, particularly when other sailors I knew have been in trouble at sea and I’ve had to sit on shore. It’s far worse waiting for news, I would rather be out there in the thick of it. So it is really a reminder of the one extraordinary thing they did by reluctantly letting me go.”

Other figures who had a huge part in Watson’s story – including Golden Globe Race organiser Don McIntyre, who secured her S&S 34 – are blended into one single character who becomes her mentor, shore team, and sounding board.

Some scenes in True Spirit have been dramatised. Photo: Everett Collection Inc/Alamy

How close to reality is True Spirit film?

While it’s gratifying to see sailing in a mainstream family film , sailing hasn’t always succeeded on the silver screen and there are elements of True Spirit which will rankle. It’s something Jessica Watson is well aware of.

“Of course, as sailors there’s parts of the movie which will be a little bit maddening for us.

“I was never relaxed about the details. I always wanted the details to be right where possible. So I have mixed feelings [about some of it]. But there’s so much I love about it too, that it showcases how beautiful it is, how special it is [to be at sea], and there’s nothing better than a little S&S sailing along for me.

Scene from the Netflix film of Watson’s solo circumnavigation. Photo: Images: Everett Collection Inc/Alamy

“It was a case of spending a lot of time with the director and the cast, talking about the inspiration behind it and helping them understand that world. And then I had to step away when it came to shooting some of the details and left them to do that.”

There is one scene – a knockdown which Watson did experience in real life – that involves a degree of suspension of disbelief. “That massive wave did happen in the Atlantic, but it probably didn’t happen quite that dramatically,” Watson says. “Though they did capture the essence of the feeling that time does stand still when you’re upside down in a knockdown.”

Watson arriving back in Sydney Harbour to a hero’s welcome in 2010. Photo: Reuters/Alamy

There are other moments where dramatic licence takes over, including one where Watson is nearly swept overboard through the lifelines. The reality was rather more boring. “I had a furling headsail and then a staysail on an inner forestay, where the storm jib went as well. That all worked incredibly well. As the weather picked up, I was able to just furl the headsail away and have the storm sail ready to go,” she explains, “Something I’m quite proud of is I that I never went on the foredeck – in fact I never left the cockpit – in over 30 knots of wind.

“Sure, I maybe sacrificed a little bit of speed, but that was part of the really conservative way that I was sailing. I could put my fourth reef in from the cockpit, but very often approaching really bad conditions I’d have the mainsail stitched and away.”

Unsurprisingly there’s little in the movie to show more mundane tasks, such as waiting for GRIB files to download. In fact, Jessica Watson was very well supported for weather routing by New Zealand meteorologist Bob McDavitt, who sent multiple daily updates which Watson would overlay with her own weather charts.

Jessica Watson and Ella’s Pink Lady cross the finish line for her unassisted solo circumnavigation. Photo: Christophe Launay/DPPI Media/Alamy

While routing has always been accepted for solo record attempts, with no official governing body to answer to, the question of what counted as ‘unassisted’ for youth sailors was open to interpretation. In 2007 British teenager Michael Perham became the youngest person to solo sail across the Atlantic aged just 14, while his father shadowed him sailing in a separate yacht.

For Watson, there was controversy whether her 23,000-mile route ventured far enough north of the Equator to count as a true around-the-world. “It certainly doesn’t worry me,” says Watson. “The biggest thing for me is that there’s no official record, as none of the bodies recognise the youngest records, which is perfectly understandable. So I don’t understand how there can be a debate about whether or not you comply with a rule that doesn’t exist.

“The route I took, chosen with my team, was about making it as safe as possible. It put me in the right oceans at the right times, and it did the things that are generally recognised as sailing around the world . I’m very at peace with that.”

The next Jessica Watson?

While Watson was inspired by reading about Jesse Martin’s adventures, would she welcome new young sailors inspired to tackle a circumnavigation after watching True Spirit ? “Absolutely, if people are serious,” she says.

Such a project is, however, very reliant on having the right yacht. “People do ask me if I would do it again, and my answer is only if the boat was exactly the same and I had the same support crew, otherwise it’s a resounding ‘No!’.

“It was absolutely that boat and how she was set up that enabled it to be possible. Someone said almost as a criticism, ‘lt was just the boat that got her there.’ But I agree with them.

“The S&S 34 is just such a gorgeous little boat. There’s nothing quite like the way that they sail beautifully upwind in a bit of a blow.”

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• Jessica Watson: A Voyage Beyond the Horizon

Dive into the early life of Jessica Watson and the spark that ignited her dream to sail around the world, setting the stage for her remarkable journey.

Charting the Course: Preparing for the Challenge

Explore the extensive preparations Jessica undertook for her solo circumnavigation, highlighting her dedication and meticulous planning.

Navigating the World: The Epic Journey

Conquering the seas.

Follow Jessica's captivating 210-day journey, covering her route, the challenges faced at sea, and the key moments that defined her voyage.

Ella's Pink Lady: More Than Just a Boat

Discover the story of Ella's Pink Lady, the iconic pink yacht that was Jessica’s companion and sanctuary throughout her extraordinary voyage.

Tackling the Tides: Challenges and Triumphs

Facing nature's fury.

Understand the trials of solo sailing, including an explanation of what a 'knockdown' is and how Jessica demonstrated resilience and skill in overcoming these challenges.

'True Spirit': The Story Continues

From sea to page and screen.

Delve into how Jessica Watson's journey was immortalized through her book 'True Spirit' and its adaptation into a movie, inspiring a global audience.

Life After the Odyssey: Jessica's Ongoing Journey

Inspiring a new generation.

Catch up with Jessica Watson's current endeavors, her continued influence in the sailing world, and her role as a source of inspiration for aspiring sailors.

Read more articles about sailing, sailing tips and destinations in our  Magazine .  

The Ripple Effect: Impact and Legacy

Jessica watson vs. the world.

Reflect on Jessica Watson's impact compared to other renowned young sailors and the unique legacy she has created in the realm of sailing.

A Beacon of Hope: Lessons from the Deep Blue

Advocacy and future aspirations.

Uncover the broader messages Jessica Watson advocates, including environmental stewardship and the pursuit of dreams, no matter the scale.

Conclusion: Navigating Life's Uncharted Waters

Wrap up by highlighting the enduring impact of Jessica Watson's journey, not just in sailing but as a timeless narrative of courage and determination.

So  what are you waiting for?  Take a look  at our  range of charter boats  and head to some of our  favourite  sailing  destinations .  

I will be happy to help you with your boat selection, please contact me.

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True Spirit, an Interview with Jessica Watson

By: Zeke Quezada, ASA Movies , women on the water

True Spirit , available only on Netflix, on February 3, 2023, captures the essence of sailing from the exhilarating sailing sequences to the abysmal loneliness to the harrowing storms. Reacquaint yourself with the story that captured the world’s attention when a teenager decided to attempt to become the youngest sailor to sail non-stop around the globe. You will feel the wind in your face, your palms will sweat when the storms roll in and spoiler alert, you might cry a little as well.

Jessica Watson sat down with American Sailing to discuss sailing, her adventure and True Spirit the film about her sailing expedition to be the youngest person to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted. True Spirt is only available on Netflix on February 3, 2023.

Jessica Watson: I certainly didn’t step off Ella’s Pink Lady and feel I’d had enough of sailing, if anything my love for it has grown tenfold. Although it is also something I’ve taken increasingly less seriously and I’m no great racing sailor. Since the voyage around the world I went on to other sailing challenges like skippering the youngest crew to compete in the Rolex Sydney to Hobart and in more recent years have enjoyed messing about in dinghy’s, a trailer

ABOUT THE FILM

True Spirit

Netflix Release Date | February 3, 2023

Synopsis | When the tenacious young sailor Jessica Watson (Teagan Croft) sets out to be the youngest person to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around the world, many expect her to fail. With the support of her sailing coach and mentor Ben Bryant (Cliff Curtis) and her parents (Josh Lawson and Academy Award winner Anna Paquin), Jessica is determined to accomplish what was thought to be impossible, navigating some of the world’s most challenging stretches of ocean over the course of 210 days.

True Spirit is directed by Sarah Spillane, written by Sarah Spillane, Rebecca Banner and Cathy Randall with Debra Martin Chase, Susan Cartsonis and Andrew Fraser serving as producers. Bridget Webb, Vivien Turner, Stacy Clausen and Todd Lasance also co-star in this incredible true story of perseverance and human accomplishment that shows that you are only as big as the dreams you dare to live.

Director | Sarah Spillane

Writers | Sarah Spillane, Rebecca Banner, Cathy Randall

Based On the book by Jessica Watson

Producers | Debra Martin Chase, Susan Cartsonis, Andrew Fraser

Cast | Teagan Croft, Cliff Curtis, Bridget Webb, Vivien Turner, Stacy Clausen, Todd Lasance, with Josh Lawson and Anna Paquin

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Meet the Adventurers of the Year: Circumnavigator Jessica Watson

Each day we will feature one of the 2010 Adventures of the Year here on our blog. Get to know them all in our photo gallery , then vote for your favorite for the People's Choice award—every day. You can even vote for a new favorite each day, if you can't pick just one. Photograph by Sergio Dionisio, Getty Images

The Circumnavigator

Jessica Watson sailed around the world, alone, as a teenager.

Before Jessica Watson steered her 34-foot yacht across four oceans, circling the globe without stopping once, her yacht had a collision with a 63,000-ton bulk carrier during the first night of a sea trial. Her boat, Ella’s Pink Lady , lost its mast. Her quest to sail around the world before her 17th birthday was already controversial, and the collision only seemed to strengthen the arguments against the young Australian—that she was too young, too inexperienced, and too immature. (These were also directed at Watson’s parents and two other young wannabe circumnavigators, siblings Zak and Abby Sunderland.) But Watson, who was raised on sailboats and is more poised than most, quietly returned to port, tended to her broken ship, and returned to sea. “Any doubts about whether I could cope mentally,” Watson later wrote, “vanished…I was stronger, more determined, and ready….”

On May 15, 2010, after 210 days, the smiling 16-year-old arrived in Sydney Harbor, the youngest single-handed, non-stop, unassisted circumnavigator of all time. This, too, would become controversial, for detractors took Watson to task for not sailing far enough into the Northern Hemisphere. No matter. Tens of thousands of fans came out to greet her triumphant return to Australia, while millions watched on national television. But perhaps more impressive were the numbers of people following her journey in real time, through her blog. Watson once wrote: “I could write about a fly landing on Ella's Pink Lady and someone would find it interesting.” And 447 encouraging comments followed. —By Ryan Bradley

Read more from Jessica Watson > >

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The Inspiring Journey of Jessica Watson, Australia’s Youngest Solo Sailor

In a world where adventure knows no bounds, one young Australian sailor decided to challenge the sea, defying all odds and embarking on a journey that would make history. Meet Jessica Watson, Australia’s youngest solo sailor , who navigated the uncharted waters and captured the hearts of millions with her awe-inspiring journey.

At just 16 years old, Jessica set out to sail around the globe single-handedly, a feat that seemed impossible for someone her age. Battling treacherous storms, sleep deprivation, and loneliness, Jessica proved that determination and passion know no age limit. Her remarkable voyage not only showcased her incredible strength and resilience but also served as a beacon of hope and inspiration for young dreamers around the world.

With her daring adventure, Jessica Watson became an instant sensation, capturing the attention of the nation and beyond. Her story is a testament to the power of following your dreams, and her unwavering spirit serves as a reminder that age is just a number when it comes to achieving the extraordinary.

Join us as we delve into the captivating journey of Jessica Watson and discover the incredible milestones she achieved on her solo sailing odyssey.

Early life and passion for sailing

Jessica Watson’s love affair with sailing began at a young age. Growing up on the Sunshine Coast of Australia , she was drawn to the water and spent countless hours exploring the ocean on her family’s yacht. It was during these early years that Jessica developed a deep connection with the sea and a burning desire to explore beyond the horizon.

As she honed her sailing skills, Jessica’s passion for adventure grew stronger. She devoured stories of daring sailors who conquered the world’s oceans and dreamed of embarking on her own solo journey. Her unwavering determination and thirst for adventure set her apart from her peers and laid the foundation for her future accomplishments.

The decision to embark on a solo sailing journey

At the age of 14, Jessica made the audacious decision to sail around the world alone. While many doubted her abilities and questioned the sanity of such a dangerous endeavor, Jessica remained steadfast in her belief that she could accomplish the impossible. It was this unwavering self-belief that fueled her determination to overcome any obstacles that stood in her way.

With the support of her family and a team of experienced mentors, Jessica started to plan her epic voyage. Countless hours were spent studying charts, refining her sailing skills, and ensuring she had the necessary equipment to navigate the treacherous waters ahead. Jessica’s meticulous preparation was a testament to her commitment and served as a solid foundation for her upcoming adventure.

Preparation and training for the voyage

Preparing for a solo journey around the world is no easy task, especially for a teenager. Jessica knew that she had to be physically and mentally prepared for the challenges that lay ahead. She dedicated herself to rigorous training, both on and off the water, to ensure she was ready to face whatever the ocean threw her way.

Physical fitness played a crucial role in Jessica’s preparation. She embarked on a strict training regimen that included strength and endurance exercises, as well as learning vital survival skills. Additionally, she worked closely with her team to develop contingency plans for potential emergencies, ensuring she was equipped to handle any situation that arose during her voyage.

As the departure date drew near, Jessica’s excitement and nerves reached new heights. The support of her family, friends, and the entire Australian sailing community helped bolster her confidence and provided the encouragement she needed to embark on this historic journey.

Setting sail: Challenges and triumphs

On October 18, 2009, Jessica set sail from Sydney Harbour, marking the beginning of her extraordinary journey. As she ventured into the vast expanse of the open ocean, she faced a myriad of challenges that tested her strength and resolve.

Watson’s planned circumnavigation route was to start and end at Sydney and to pass near New Zealand, Fiji, Kiribati,  Cape Horn , Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin and South East Cape. In accordance with the definitions for circumnavigations set out by the International Sailing Federation’s WSSRC, the equator must be crossed – this crossing was carried out near Kiritimati. However, the WSSRC criteria also stipulate that a global circumnavigation must have an orthodromic distance of 21,600 nautical miles – Watson’s journey did not meet this requirement.

One of the first obstacles Jessica encountered was the relentless Southern Ocean . The powerful swells and fierce winds pushed her to her limits, but she refused to give in. With each passing storm, Jessica’s resilience grew stronger, and she learned to navigate the treacherous waters with skill and precision.

Sleep deprivation was another constant battle for Jessica. Sailing solo meant that she had to be on constant alert, taking short naps throughout the day and night to ensure her safety. The sleepless nights took a toll on her both physically and mentally, but Jessica’s unwavering determination pushed her forward.

Despite the challenges she faced, Jessica also experienced moments of triumph and awe. The sight of breaching whales, breathtaking sunsets, and the sheer vastness of the open ocean filled her with a sense of wonder and gratitude. These moments of serenity and beauty served as a reminder of why she embarked on this incredible journey in the first place.

Navigating the open ocean: Lessons learned and personal growth

As Jessica sailed from one ocean to another, she encountered a myriad of experiences that shaped her as an individual and sailor. The solitude of the open ocean forced her to confront her fears and pushed her beyond her comfort zone. It was in these moments of solitude that Jessica discovered her true strength and resilience.

The isolation also provided Jessica with the opportunity for self-reflection and personal growth. Away from the distractions of modern life, she delved deep into her thoughts and discovered a newfound clarity and purpose. The vastness of the ocean became a canvas for introspection, and Jessica emerged from her journey with a deeper understanding of herself and the world around her.

Navigating the open ocean also taught Jessica invaluable lessons about adaptability and problem-solving. She encountered numerous mechanical failures and had to rely on her resourcefulness to fix them. Through trial and error, Jessica learned to think on her feet and find creative solutions to the challenges that arose.

Media attention and public support

News of Jessica’s daring voyage spread like wildfire, capturing the attention of the media and the public. Her journey became a source of inspiration and hope for people around the world. The media followed her every move, reporting on her triumphs and setbacks, and the public eagerly awaited updates on her progress.

Jessica’s story resonated with people of all ages, as it defied conventional expectations and showcased the power of chasing one’s dreams. Messages of support poured in from every corner of the globe, offering words of encouragement and admiration for her bravery. The outpouring of love and support served as a constant reminder to Jessica that she was not alone on her journey.

Accomplishing the goal: Celebrating Jessica’s achievement

After 210 days at sea, Jessica Watson returned to Sydney Harbour on May 15, 2010. The sight of her sailing into the harbor, greeted by cheering crowds and a flotilla of boats, marked the end of an incredible odyssey and the beginning of a new chapter in her life.

Jessica’s achievement was celebrated not only in Australia but around the world. She became the youngest person to sail solo around the globe, a title that would forever be etched in the annals of sailing history.

The  Los Angeles Times  reported Watson’s reason for her journey: “ I wanted to challenge myself and achieve something to be proud of. And yes, I wanted to inspire people. I hated being judged by my appearance and other people’s expectations of what a ‘little girl’ was capable of. It’s no longer just my dream or voyage. Every milestone out here isn’t just my achievement, but an achievement for everyone who has put so much time and effort into helping getting me here. “

Impact and legacy of Jessica Watson journey

Jessica Watson’s solo sailing journey had a profound impact on the world. Her story served as a powerful reminder that age is not a barrier to achieving greatness and that dreams can be realized with determination and perseverance. Young people around the world were inspired to chase their own dreams, no matter how audacious they may seem.

Beyond the personal impact, Jessica’s journey also raised awareness about the importance of preserving our oceans and the need for sustainable practices. Through her experiences at sea, she witnessed firsthand the effects of climate change and pollution on our planet. Jessica became an advocate for ocean conservation, using her platform to raise awareness and inspire others to take action.

Inspiring others to chase their dreams

The extraordinary journey of Jessica Watson serves as a testament to the power of following your dreams and pushing the boundaries of what is possible. Her unwavering spirit, determination, and resilience continue to inspire generations of adventurers and dreamers.

Jessica’s story reminds us that age is just a number when it comes to achieving the extraordinary. It is a reminder that we should never underestimate the potential within ourselves and that with passion, dedication, and a little bit of audacity, we can conquer uncharted waters and leave a lasting impact on the world.

So, let Jessica Watson’s journey be a rallying cry for all those who dare to dream big. Let her story be a testament to the power of the human spirit and a reminder that the greatest adventures often begin with a single step, or in Jessica’s case, a single sail.

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Solo sailor Jessica Watson, 16, completes globe-circling feat

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Jessica Watson may have sailed on her own for 210 days, but the last hour of her trip was anything but solo.

As the 16-year-old Australian entered Sydney Harbor on Saturday after circumnavigating the world unassisted, an armada surrounded her 34-foot yacht: hundreds of racing yachts, tiny sea kayaks, dinghies, ferries, powerboats, water police vessels and one bright red tugboat that sprayed water over everyone.

FOR THE RECORD: Solo sailor: An article in Sunday’s Section A about Australian sailor Jessica Watson gave the name of its writer as Jessica Bennett. Jennifer Bennett wrote the article. —

After she wobbled onto dry land at the Sydney Opera House, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd told her she was “Australia’s newest hero.” Other teenagers might think twice before disagreeing with their country’s leader on national television. Not Jessica.

“I’m actually going to disagree with what our prime minister has just said,” she told the crowd cheering her return. “I don’t consider myself a hero. I’m an ordinary girl who believed in a dream. You don’t have to be someone special or anything special to achieve something amazing. You’ve just got to have a dream, believe in it, and work hard.”

But after sailing 23,000 nautical miles, facing storms and confronting waves that knocked her yacht on its side seven times — evidence of the battering visible on its solar panels — she is unlikely to shed the hero tag soon.

Rudd saluted her as a role model to young Australians and presented her with a copy of the government’s “Keys to Drive” program and “one free lesson courtesy of the Australian taxpayer.” A few weeks before, Jessica had told him on the phone that she needed to learn how to drive when she got home.

“You will pass your driving test with flying colors as you passed the navigation test for the world,” Rudd said.

Jessica’s adventure has not been without its critics, however. When she announced her plans, there was an immediate chorus of concern that she was too young and inexperienced to complete such a voyage, a criticism that seemed to be justified when she collided with a container ship as she slept during a test run between Brisbane and Sydney.

The immense media operation behind her has also come in for some scrutiny — she has 17 official sponsors. Her website is slick and constantly updated and, judging by the number of people wearing official Jessica Watson-branded caps and T-shirts at the Opera House, doing good business.

More serious has been the assertion made this month that she did not sail far enough above the equator to meet the requirements set by the World Sailing Speed Record Council.

But her managers said that since the council doesn’t recognize efforts by those under 18, Jessica had never expected her feat to be counted.

She said the controversy did not worry her.

“If I haven’t sailed around the world,” she said, “I’m a bit lost as to what I’ve spent the last seven months doing.”

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Jessica Watson shares how lessons learnt at sea helped her navigate the waves of grief over losing partner

By Susan Chenery

By Vanessa Gorman

Australian Story

Topic: Human Interest

During her epic round-the-world yacht voyage, Jessica Watson came to appreciate "the beauty of every little detail that makes up every wave".

She watched them endlessly, sailing 24,000 nautical miles across "nothing but empty water".

However, at times, they morphed into towering and brutal shapes, like in the South Atlantic, where mountainous seas pounded her boat and repeatedly knocked it flat.

"There was a period, a couple of hours maybe, where I was contemplating whether this was it," Jessica told the ABC's Australian Story.

Sixteen years old and alone in a treacherous ocean, Jessica was able to call on extraordinary reserves of psychological and physical strength to push through.

However, nothing — not navigating the notorious Cape Horn, nor scraping along a "wall of steel" as she collided with a cargo ship at night — had prepared her for the debilitating grief she felt after the death of her partner of 10 years, 29-year-old Cameron Dale, in 2021.

Almost two years since the sudden tragedy, Jessica has revealed to Australian Story how it left her in the "alien territory" of bereavement, emotionally adrift and questioning the point of living without him.

It was "indescribable and way beyond what I would have imagined", she said. "I really learned how bad and how scary your head can get."

Sailing onto the world's stage at 16

Before her voyage, there was controversy over the age and ability of then 16-year-old Jessica. ( Getty Images: Sergio Dionisio )

When Jessica Watson sailed through the Sydney Heads in May 2010, in her small boat, Ella's Pink Lady, crowds lined the harbour foreshore for a rousing and emotional homecoming.

Millions more around the world tuned in to watch the spectacle.

As she stepped on land for the first time in seven months, then-prime minister Kevin Rudd was waiting at the Opera House to greet her.

Jessica became the youngest person to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around the world. ( Getty Images: Mark Kolbe )

Three days shy of her 17th birthday, and now the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe solo and unassisted, she had shot to global fame.

She said the years that followed "were just crazy".

"It was book tours around the world and getting involved with the United Nations World Food Programme and all of these amazing experiences and I definitely appreciated them."

Jessica was awarded Young Australian of the Year in 2011 and made an Order of Australia. ( Getty Images: Brendon Thorne )

She was awarded Young Australian of the Year and made an Order of Australia.

However, for Jessica, getting her drivers licence and finishing school were "just as big a challenge as sailing around the world".

She had to "constantly deal with public adoration and media virtually on a daily basis for the next two years", her manager, Andrew Fraser, said.

"There was a lot of times where she just wished she could be living a normal life, and that was impossible."

Jessica embraces her family after 210 days at sea. ( Getty Images: Mark Kolbe )

How Cam helped Jessica 'disappear'

In 2011, Jessica was the skipper of the youngest crew ever to compete in the Sydney to Hobart. And that's where she met Cam, who, at 19, was the oldest crew member on the boat. Soon they were inseparable.

Jessica met Cameron Dale when they competed in the Sydney to Hobart together. ( Getty Images: Cameron Spencer )

"I really enjoyed being able to just slip into the role of Cam's girlfriend because it was a way to step away from everything else and almost hide behind him a little bit," Jessica said.

Moving to Melbourne to be with Cam was, Andrew Fraser said, "the start of a new normal life" for Jessica.

In Melbourne, she could disappear into the crowd.

"Part of what I enjoyed about Melbourne in the first few years was that I was a little bit more anonymous," Jessica said."I've got away with not being recognised as much."

Jessica Watson moved to Melbourne to be closer to Cameron Dale. ( Supplied: Jessica Watson )

Still, every so often someone would ask, "Aren't you the girl in the pink boat?"

However, she had never done any of it for the fame.

"It is not important to her," her mother, Julie, said. "Jess has never sought fame. It just found her."

The voyage that crowned Jess 'the newest Aussie hero'

Sailing around the world wasn't just the whim of a teenage girl.

Jessica had 10,000 nautical miles of sailing experience before she set out.

Jessica Watson (second from left) has been out on the water most of her life. She and her family lived on a boat for a period of time. ( Supplied: Jessica Watson )

Her parents and three siblings had lived on a boat for years after they sold their Gold Coast real estate agency and headed north, home-schooling the kids along the way.

Jessica's dyslexia "was a problem for her schooling," Julie explained, "but I didn't want that to define her. I wanted other things in her life that she was good at. And I read her a lot of books."

Jessica Watson's dyslexia made school more challenging. ( Supplied: Jessica Watson )

One of them was Lionheart by Jesse Martin, who had sailed, unassisted, around the world at 18 years of age.

That book, Jessica said, "did all the damage". At 12 years of age, she decided she wanted to take on the challenge.

"I didn't ask my parents, it was kind of telling them," Jessica said, "and I think, maybe, they realised, too, that they couldn't crush it."

A team of volunteers, including sailor Bruce Arms, helped her prepare her 10-metre pink boat for all the ocean could throw at her.

"Jessica is just so determined, it inspires you," Bruce said.

Jessica Watson decided she would sail the world at 16, so she did. ( Getty Images: Sergio Dionisio )

In the months before the voyage, there had been a powerful campaign to prevent her from leaving, sparked in part by her collision with a cargo ship during a sea trial off the east coast of Australia.

"It was extraordinary, the level of criticism," her manager, Andrew Fraser, recalled. "I would receive emails saying, 'If you let this girl go, you've got blood on your hands'."

However, the way Jessica responded to the crisis gave her strength and, eventually, won her a legion of fans.

"Right at that point where the rest of the world had no confidence in me, I actually found the last bit of confidence that I needed," she said.

Jessica Watson has "never sought fame, it just found her", says her mother, Julie.  ( Dan Himbrechts: AAP )

By the time she returned through the Heads in Sydney, the PM was declaring her "our newest hero".

"There was a long period where I was trying to escape a little bit of the past and the voyage and being solely remembered as that," Jessica said.

During her 20s, Jessica admitted to being "just sick of my own story."

"You don't want to be talking about that the entire time. I feel like I've had enough fuss made of me to last 50 lifetimes."

She was ready to step away from it all and build another life, one with Cam by her side.

Jessica set out to get a degree, determined to overcome her dyslexia, and is now an MBA who works for Deloitte in management consulting.

"I've got no idea what normal or ordinary is, but there is something really lovely about getting up and having a routine, getting public transport into Melbourne's CBD, being part of the team at Deloitte and just part of the commuter crowd."

And every now and then, up on the 23rd floor of the corporate tower, "I get someone who's just so confused about what that 'Sailor-girl' is doing in this office, in this really corporate environment."

Losing Cam leaves Jess 'cocooned in shock'

In July 2021, Jessica and Cam were on the Gold Coast providing technical guidance for True Spirit, the Netflix drama about her historic voyage .

A seasoned sailor, Cam had been excited about the film and keen to make sure the sailing scenes were accurate.

Completely out of the blue, he started feeling unwell.

"He had symptoms that we quite quickly worked out were symptoms of a stroke," Jessica said.

At a hospital on the Gold Coast, he was diagnosed as having a minor stroke. While still in hospital, he had a second, this time catastrophic, stroke.

Jessica sat with him, "talking to him about every single memory and going through both of our phones full of 10 years of photos and memories to pour every tiny bit of love into him that I could".

Cameron Dale died after a catastrophic stroke in 2021. ( Supplied: Jessica Watson )

He had been young and active, a sailor and cyclist. He was just 29. He had no idea he had high blood pressure.

Six weeks later, he died with Jessica and his family by his side.

With Cam gone, so was the future they had planned together and "our imagined baby", Jessica said.

In the wake of his death, she was "cocooned in shock" and eventually reached a point of "not wanting to be here without Cam".

"It's really that simple. What's the point without him? The pain is just so bad that you want it to stop."

She was "really, really struggling and not particularly rational with it". Cam had been the most important part of her life.

Jessica reached out and got help: "I've certainly learned, with grief, to tell people what you need. Don't leave them to guess."

Soon she began to realise that "you can be so completely crushed and totally broken" but still be incredibly strong.

"It's a weird thing to learn," she said.

"She's managed to tap into an inner strength," Andrew Fraser said, "and I think a lot of those mechanisms have come from her voyage, which taught her how to overcome adversity."

Jessica Watson struggled with grief after the death of her partner, Cameron Dale. ( Supplied: Jessica Watson )

She finds great solace in being out on the water at the Sandringham Yacht Club with Cam's best friends.

"It almost feels like a way of celebrating him, being with this group of people that are just so Cam that it feels like he is here," she explained.

"And doing it for him because it's exactly what he would want us to be doing. Out in the saltwater, in the wind, the waves. It is hard to imagine something better for grief."

Jessica Watson used the launch of the movie to raise funds for the Stroke Foundation. ( ABC: Australian Story/Kate Wilson )

Recently, Jessica stepped back into the limelight to hit the "pink carpet" for the movie of her voyage, True Spirit.

"There's a sense of, 'Oh gosh, what am I getting myself into'," she said.

"Here we go again, but so grateful for the crazy and unique opportunity that this is.

"I'm having fun and it's something that I've learned to such an extent since Cam's passing. He wanted me to have fun with this."

Teagan Croft as Jessica Watson in True Spirit ( Netflix )

Besides, she hopes it can make a difference by fundraising for the Stroke Foundation.

She is here to tell people: "For goodness sake, get your blood pressure checked."

Watching the film, she says "it's so weird having someone take some of your story and your life and then make it something else".

"What that 'fake me' was saying wasn't my own words but was the essence of what I really believed I was doing the voyage for."

Jessica is not sure what the future holds but, approaching 30, she has a sense of having "lived a lot" for someone her age, through "absolutely terrible things and so much pain".

"But, also, there's so much beauty and kindness," she said. "They're the things I've really clung to and built on. And they are enough for now."

Watch Australian Story's Charting Her Course on  ABC iview .

Jessica Watson – Australia’s Sailing Hero

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Written by Mike Smith

 ABC News Austrlaia: Jessica Watson has spent seven months alone at sea in her sailing yacht. After a 210-day journey of a lifetime, the 16-year-old from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast has become the youngest person to sail around the world, solo, non-stop and unassisted.

Jessica Watson waves to supporters in Sydney - AAP Treacy Nearmy

Just two days shy of her 17th birthday, Watson sailed her 10-metre yacht Ella’s Pink Lady up Sydney Harbour, the same spot she left from almost seven months ago.

Battling six-metre swells and a ripped main sail, the final leg of her journey took several hours longer than what was predicted.

She disembarked at the Opera House, made an emotional reunion with her parents, and then met the official welcome party including Mr Rudd and NSW Premier Kristina Keneally.

Mr Rudd told Watson she has done the nation proud.

“Jess, welcome back to dry land, welcome back home to Australia,” he said.

“You may feel a little wobbly on your feet just now but in the eyes of all Australians you now stand tall as our newest Australian hero.

“At 16 years old, you are a hero for all young Australians, you are also a hero for all young Australian women, you do our nation proud. This is a great day for our country.”

Mr Rudd wished Watson a happy birthday and welcomed her home with a special gift – one free driving lesson, which he thought she would “pass with flying colours”.

Jessica Watson has spent seven months alone at sea - AAP Dean Lewins

‘Ordinary girl’

But the teen adventurer humbly disagreed with Mr Rudd, saying she is no hero.

“I don’t consider myself a hero, I’m an ordinary girl,” she said.

“You don’t have to be someone special to achieve something amazing, you’ve just got to have a dream, believe in it and work hard. I’d like to think I’ve proved that anything really is possible if you set your mind to it.”

“People don’t realise what young people, and what young girls are capable of, and it’s amazing when you take away those expectations what you can achieve.”

As she made her way up the world famous harbour, Watson was flanked by a flotilla and a crowd cheering loudly, waving banners with messages of support.

She struggled for some time to see the boat carrying her family, but eventually made eye-to-eye contact, waving to her parents who had tears in their eyes.

Watson said she was overwhelmed by the support.

“It’s just completely overwhelming right now, I’ve been at sea for so long… but I think it’s slowly sinking in,” she said.

“It started out as something that was a personal challenge but it’s become so much more and it’s amazing to be able to share it and inspire other people.”

She admitted to enduring tough times over the past seven months – one of the biggest which was saying good bye – but confessed leaving her yacht today was also difficult.

“As much as I wanted that hug from mum and dad and everyone, Ella’s Pink Lady has been my home for so long and stepping off just seemed the strangest thing to do because obviously I’ve spend the last seven months doing everything I can do stay on board,” she said.

Watson made a special effort to thank her supporters.

“Don’t ask me how it makes a difference but it made a difference knowing there were so many people out there thinking of me while I was having a tough time in the water,” she said.

When asked what food she was looking forward to, Watson said she was craving fresh cream, something spicy and a salad to go with it.

NSW Premier Kristina Keneally also welcomed Watson home, saying she has inspired the nation and reminded Australians to follow their dreams.

“Jessica, you’ve truly captured the hearts of all Australians and you’ve inspired them,” she said.

“Most young people are fearless and you seem particularly so, but take it from me Jessica there are so many of us who get afraid of risks, we start to doubt, but you have reminded us in a spectacular way that life itself is a risk and those who don’t risk never win.

“And Jessica you have won, you have won against fear and doubt, you have won against fatigue and isolation, you have won against the knockers and the doomsayers, and you have written into our heats and the hearts of this nation a great symbol of courage and dignity.”

Huge flotilla welcomes Jessica Watson back to Sydney - AAP Dean Lewins

Doubts unfounded

Despite setbacks at the start and finish of her journey, Watson’s around the world adventure has been relatively smooth sailing.

She faced calls to abandon the trip late last year after she collided with a bulk carrier off the south-east Queensland coast.

Jessica in the sky, as the teen sailor makes her way to Sydney Harbour - AAP Treacy Nearmy

At that point, many questioned Watson’s ability and maturity, and whether her parents were doing the right thing in letting their daughter go. Even the Queensland Premier was urged to stop her.

Despite the controversy, Watson, supported by her family and manager, remained determined to embark on the voyage.

Apart from encountering wild winds, large swells and several knockdowns – one where her mast was pushed 180 degrees into the water – Watson’s journey from then on was with few major setbacks.

She crossed the Equator and rounded the notoriously tough Cape Horn, withstanding 40-knot winds and a four-metre swell.

But it was conditions closer to home that proved some of the toughest.

Sailing the Southern Ocean, from Cape Leeuwin and around Tasmania, Watson’s yacht was knocked down several times while battling wild storms.

“The last few days have been a bit tough (yes that’s an upgrade from the usual interesting!), with strong headwinds, messy seas, lots of lightning and a few high drama moments,” Watson wrote on her blog.

“With this weather keeping me on my toes, there’s no way I’m relaxing in the slightest.” For more information and updates go to -abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/15/2900405.htm

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The Real Story Behind Jessica Watson's Sailing Journey in Netflix’ 'True Spirit'

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This Truly Unsettling Movie Gave Us Some of 2024's Best Horror Performances

This essential magical object gets no backstory in ‘harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban’, netflix's 'the deliverance' forgets about its best characters.

Editor's Note: The following contains True Spirit spoilers.

True Spirit , out on Netflix now, tells the fascinating true story of Jessica Watson , an Australian sailor who circumnavigated the globe in 210 days back in 2009 – but how factual really is this retelling?

Circumnavigating the globe is impressive as it is, but in Jessica's case, she was also a 16-year-old girl. In a year when most 16-year-olds were planking and doing the stanky leg, Jessica was sailing around the world solo. Earlier this month, Netflix premiered True Spirit, starring Titans ' Teagan Croft as Jessica Watson. The movie also features Cliff Curtis, Anna Paquin, and Josh Lawson. True Spirit gives its viewers an honest and inspiring look at a remarkable story of determination and grit while also being littered with hits from the time, like Empire of the Sun 's "Walking on a Dream," or "Geronimo" by Sheppard in a way that captures the essence of the early 2000s perfectly.

True Spirit tells the encouraging tale of a young woman, her mentor (Curtis), and her family (Paquin and Lawson portray Watson's parents, Roger and Julie, respectively). Beyond being a tale of hard work and courage, True Spirit illustrates the complicated process a parent must go through in letting a child gain independence and come into their own. Although it's a more arduous journey than most take, at its core, True Spirit is a story of what we can accomplish with the proper avenues of support, no matter how young. To this day, Jessica Watson is still one of the youngest people to circumnavigate the world and the youngest to sail the world unassisted, without stopping. Interestingly, according to the Australian Museum , Julie Watson saw Jessica as the least likely of her children to have become a sailor due to her shyness.

All that said, how much of True Spirit is true, and how much of it was Hollywood magic?

RELATED: First 'True Spirit' Images Show Jessica Watson's Harrowing Journey

Jessica Watson Already Had Plenty of Sailing Experience by 2010

As it turns out, quite a lot of it was true. True Spirit is based on the book of the same name, written by Watson, about her sailing journey, which began when she was about eight years old. Watson is one of four children born to Julie and Roger Watson, all of which took sailing lessons from a young age. The family even lived on a boat for several years, during which Julie Watson would read Jesse Martin's book about his journey sailing the world as a bedtime story (clearly had a strong influence). In a story without shortness of magnificence, Jessica spent ages 11-15 honing in on her craft. Jessica sailed 6000 ocean and 6000 coastal miles while acquiring numerous sailing qualifications. She would join the crew of several boats, gaining well-rounded experience in sailing.

By 16, she had decided to circumnavigate the world by herself. On October 18, 2009, she (literally) set sail on her boat, Ella's Pink Lady , a 34-foot Sparkman & Stephens yacht. In the process, she faced monstrous waves, storms, and understandable loneliness. She would sail 18,582 nautical miles, which, for those that don't know, is slightly longer than a mile on land by 0.1508 miles. Jessica documented her travels on her blog and by video, which would become well-known and still holds hundreds of comments.

The World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC) would determine that Jessica did not technically sail the world because she fell short of the 21,600 nautical miles required by the Council for a sailor to rightfully claim they traveled the world. However, this determination did not seem to matter to the people of Australia, as her arrival home on May 15, 2010, was met with a pink carpet to match Ella's Pink Lady and crowds of admirers. In a twist of fate, a very young Teagan Croft was among one of the attendees of Jessica's return. In 2011, Jessica Watson was named Young Australian of the Year, and in 2012, Jessica received the Medal of the Order of Australia.

True Spirit details controversy and conflict with the media regarding her age, which was very accurate. The Watson family received criticism for allowing Jessica to take on the "Everest of sailing" with her limited experience and youth, even though she had been sailing for nearly a decade by the time she began this journey.

In a moment that displays authentic humility and an attitude that was far beyond her years at the time, Jessica did not see herself as a hero. She saw herself as an "ordinary person, who had a dream, worked hard at it and proved that anything really is possible."

What's Fiction in 'True Spirit'?

According to Entertainment Weekly , Julie and Roger were represented precisely as they were. However, two characters were prominent in the film but were more representations of different people. The first is Ben Bryant (portrayed by New Zealand's Cliff Curtis), Jessica's mentor and disgraced sailor who had lost a crew member while under his command. Ben is a supporting character who is nearly as present as the Watson parents on Jessica's trip. He helps guide Jessica by radio and offers encouragement from afar. In real life (and not mentioned in the movie), Jessica's parents were New Zealanders. She holds dual citizenship in Australia and New Zealand, making Curtis' prominent role almost like a homage to her heritage.

The second made-up character is a particularly inflammatory reporter played by Todd Lasance. Lasance's character, Craig Atherton is based on several reporters who criticized her journey and her parents' support of the trip as they viewed it as too dangerous for a child. The film shows a collision between the Ella's Pink Lady and a cargo ship during a test trip before she begins her voyage. This collision did happen, and in the film, it adds fuel to the fire of the negative press.

In terms of events conveyed in the film, several did not happen in Jessica's real-life journey. Two of them were particularly impactful, the first being stuck at sea with no wind for a week and the second being knocked unconscious by a frying pan during a storm. These made-up events do not take away from the peril of Jessica's journey, though, as there is a scene in which the Ella's Pink Lady is temporarily sunk 15 feet during a storm, and frighteningly, this is true and did happen.

For those looking to watch a movie about a young woman who takes on a Goliath in the form of massive ways and soul-crushing loneliness, True Spirit is currently streaming on Netflix.

• Movie Features

Jessica Watson's 'true spirit' re-inspiring, 13yrs after solo global voyage

The incredible story of Jessica's solo voyage around the world has been depicted in the Netflix film 'True Spirit' (Source: Netflix)

In 2009, aged just 16, Jessica Watson set off to sail around the world on her own.

Steering her 34 ft yacht across four oceans, the Queensland teenager circled the globe without stopping once, passing the four capes (Cape Horn, Cape Agulhas, Cape Leeuwin and the Cape of SE Tasmania) and crossing the Equator twice.

When she sailed into the Sydney Harbour after 210 days at sea, she was met by tens of thousands of proud Australians who welcomed Jessica back to her homeland with an "overwhelming" celebration.

Jessica Watson was relaxed with family after returning to local shores on May 15 2010 (Source: Getty)

She had defeated 70ft waves and persevered despite her boat, Ella's Pink Lady, being knocked down seven times. Importantly, she had proved herself to those who didn't believe.

During a grand ceremony held in Jessica's honour, she was labelled a "hero" by then-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

But Jessica didn't see it that way - she told him: “I'm just an ordinary girl who believed in her dream. You don't have to be someone special, or anything special, to achieve something amazing."

She quickly became etched in the minds of many as the girl who sailed around the ocean before she could drive a car.

The moment Jessica Watson stepped off her boat and touched dry land for the first time in 210 days (Source: Getty)

Now Jessica's bravery and her tale of triumph is being retold in a fresh new Netflix biopic True Spirit .

The movie , directed and written by Aussie director Sarah Spillane, is re-inspiring Jessica's old fans who may remember the flotilla following along as she made her way to be reunited with her family, while touching the hearts of a new audience ready to learn the heartfelt message she has always been passionate about sharing.

And it's not without its Kiwi ties.

Cliff Curtis features in the movie as the keen sailor's trusted mentor while Teagan Croft plays Jessic (Source: Netflix)

Cliff Curtis takes on the role as her determined mentor, Ben, and Anna Paquin makes up one half of Jessica's supportive parents, who are both from New Zealand in real life.

Jessica is played by Australian actress Teagan Croft who was careful to give the character in the movie her own edge.

Speaking to the Today show, she said:"We all sat down and had a big meal and talked about how we wanted to talk about a character from the ground up and create an authentic, honest character as well."

Teagan says she was keen to bring her own edge to Jessica's character (Source: Netflix)

Jessica, now 29, revealed it's been "so weird" to see herself portrayed on the big screen - but the experience has been "incredible".

She said: "Teagan brings something of herself to it, as did everyone who worked on this, so it's something in its own right as well. It's great."

Looking back at old footage, she said: "There's still a little part of that extraordinary emotion that's still with me today, just completely overwhelming... in the best possible way."

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Nicole Kidman has thanked fans for their support following her mother's death.

She subsequently missed the film's North American premiere in Toronto earlier this week as she was with her family.

Kidman has now taken to Instagram to express her gratitude for the "outpouring of love and kindness" she's received.

Sharing three photos of Janelle, one solo portrait and two of her with Nicole and her sister Antonia Kidman, the star wrote: "My sister and I along with our family want to thank you for the outpouring of love and kindness we have felt this week.

"Every message we have received from those who loved and admired our Mother has meant more to us than we will ever be able to express. Thank you from our whole family for respecting our privacy as we take care of each other [heart emoji]."

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nicole Kidman (@nicolekidman)

A number of Nicole's famous friends offered support in the comments.

Naomi Watts wrote: "Sending so much love to you both. So sorry for your loss. Your wonderfully spirited mum will be missed by so many.

"Hopefully she is now peacefully reunited with your papa xxx love you."

Lenny Kravitz commented: "My deepest condolences to you and the family. I am blessed to have been in her presence. Rest in power."

And Michelle Pfeiffer posted: "I am so sorry for your loss Nicole. Sending blessings to you and your family [heart emoji]."

News of Janelle's death was broken when director Halina Reijn accepted a Best Actress award on Nicole's behalf in Venice.

She read out a statement from the star which explained: "Today I arrived in Venice to find out shortly after, that my beautiful, brave mother Janelle Ann Kidman has just passed.

"I am in shock and I have to go to my family, but this award is for her, she shaped me, she guided me, and she made me. I am beyond grateful that I get to say her name to all of you through Halina, the collision of life and art is heart-breaking, and my heart is broken."

The boy from Boy is now a 27-year-old man and he’s competing on the newest season of Celebrity Treasure Island to try to raise money for a charity that holds a personal connection.

Actor James Rolleston (Te Whakatōhea, Te Arawa) is best known for starring in Taika Waititi’s 2010 film Boy, a comedy-drama which became one of New Zealand’s highest grossing local films of all time.

He’s now one of 18 contestants competing in the newest season of Celebrity Treasure Island (CTI) where he is trying to win the grand prize money of $100,000 for Brake, a charity that works to prevent road deaths and supports injured in crashes across New Zealand.

It’s a charity close to his heart as in 2016, a car accident left Rolleston with a large brain injury and the actor had to learn how to walk and talk again during a long recovery process.

Re: News journalist Janhavi Gosavi spoke to Rolleston about recovering from his brain injury and what it’s like being back on screen again.

For those of us who know you from Boy, catch us up on what you’ve been up to since.

I started my career down here in Ōpōtiki, in the Eastern Bay.

After that, throughout primary [school] and college, I was given opportunities to do a few other films.

So I went away and I did The Deadlands, Pork Pie. There's The Dark Horse, The Rehearsal.

After school, I made the decision to make the move up to Auckland. That was end of 2015.

I spent eight years up in Auckland and I just recently moved back to Ōpōtiki this year after CTI.

I'm just loving life down here in Ōpōtiki ... There's always blue skies here.

We got the ocean at our front doorstep, and then we've got the bush at our back doorstep.

There's a lot of hunting and fishing being done back home here ... It’s a tight, tight community. Everyone’s lovely.

It's cool to see the sports teams back here in the Eastern Bay ... There's a lot of good young athletes that come out of this town and Whakatane, Eastern Bay. I always go and watch, support the boys’ rugby and things like that.

Why did you choose Brake as the charity you wanted to support on CTI?

I chose Brake because it's a road safety charity.

In 2016 I was involved in a car accident ... where I almost lost my life.

I sustained a traumatic brain injury and was on life support for a few weeks. And, yeah, it was quite touch and go there.

The road accidents here in New Zealand is quite, quite massive ... Some roads can be quite tricky to drive.

I just wanted to show my support towards the medics for their equipment they use ... just for the recovery of people that go through similar experiences that I did.

We'd hold challenges throughout the show, maybe the odd challenge here and there, where we can earn money for our chosen charity. But along the way, you know, there's a big prize at the end of the show ... So we were playing for that.

Can you explain what it’s like to have a brain injury, to someone who’s never had one?

It can be challenging at times ... sometimes your brain just doesn't tick over.

Obviously, I've come a long way from where I was at, and I'm doing great now. But I still live with this ... I still have times where now I can't remember what I was just trying to note down, maybe half an hour ago.

It's just a lot of cognitive things that, you know, it's frustrating.

I might have three or four alarms during the day for just simple, simple tasks.

[I] still try keep physically active, but just no more contact sports. But that's alright.

I'm very grateful, and I'm very lucky that I can still move like, I've still got all my limbs from my car accident ... But no, I'm still sweet, still move around OK.

What’s your relationship to cars and driving like now?

My memory was knocked quite badly. I don't remember. I don't recall anything from the car accident.

When I'm in a car, I've got nothing to be scared of, because I don't remember nothing.

When I first hopped into the car after my accident, I was a little bit nervous ... Just knowing that I had been in an accident, but not knowing what this other driver was going to do, the ones I’m going past, the oncoming traffic.

You spent a while away from acting and being on screen, what’s it been like to return to it?

I was probably away for about two and a bit years.

It did feel long ... I was just in a pretty strange place where my brain was recovering and I was trying to learn how to do, like, the basic things that I did when I was five years old.

[Returning to screen] was a bit nerve wracking. It was a bit tricky. Because, like I said, just some cognitive difficulties that I have now.

But when I first got back into acting, you know, was amplified by quite a bit.

I was often sleeping on set every day. I just have a quick half an hour nap, because of my fatigue levels.

There were a few adjustments when I first got back into it, like I was taking naps and all of that. I was rehearsing a lot, a lot more than I would normally, and I was going back to my lines, learning them a lot more than I would normally.

It was a bit difficult, but no, it was cool. It was always OK, because I enjoyed doing this stuff.

Do you think you had any advantages over the other contestants in CTI?

I don't think a lot of them fished much, fished around rocks ... or eeling, or anything like that.

Having some knowledge of fishing and diving and whatever, gathering some food. I definitely feel like I had that on a few people on the show.

Do you think you had any disadvantages compared to the other contestants?

My head injury also affected my balance and coordination quite a bit.

Like, I can run OK and all of that. But ... it feels uncoordinated, it doesn't feel right.

I couldn't assist in my team in some areas because of those things.

Other than that, it was pretty good ... We all had challenging games against each other, you know. Was all good fun.

Is being on screen where you see your future?

I think so, yeah. Well, I know that.

I enjoy this too much, you know ... Going to places or wherever, meeting a whole lot of another crew and stuff like that.

I made some pretty cool connections with my friendships with these people, you know, all of them. It's not going to go anywhere anytime soon.

I'm back in Ōpōtiki now. I'm wanting to do a trade back here, something in between acting jobs.

I was building for a little bit in Auckland in between my jobs when I was up there. So I'd like to go back to that and maybe try to get my tickets.

Yeah, maybe plumbing. I'm not too sure because, you know, I'd rather be carrying around PVC pipes than four-by-two. But we'll see.

It’s also a life skill ... I would love to build my own house one day, maybe get some land down here.

I'm just going to be hoping more opportunities come our way after [CTI] comes out. So, yeah, fingers crossed.

* This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

You can watch Celebrity Treasure Island on TVNZ+

Famous fans and collaborators are paying tribute to James Earl Jones, the award-winning actor and commanding voice of Darth Vader, who died Tuesday at 93.

"One of the world’s finest actors whose contributions to Star Wars were immeasurable. He’ll be greatly missed," actor Mark Hamill, who played Vader's son Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars movies, said in a statement to The Associated Press.

"James Earl Jones will forever be remembered as The GOAT. It was truly a privilege to direct him and a Blessing to be loved by him. We will forever speak his name and tell the great stories that will become Legend and Myth and seed generations to come," said actor and dancer Debbie Allen, who directed Jones in the 2008 Broadway production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, on Instagram.

"Legendary doesn’t even begin to describe his iconic roles and impact on cinema forever. His voice and talent will be remembered always. Sending love to his family, friends and countless fans in all the galaxies, far, far away," stated actor Octavia Spencer on Instagram.

"James Earl Jones… there will never be another of his particular combination of graces," wrote actor LeVar Burton, on X.

“From the gentle wisdom of Mufasa to the menacing threat of Darth Vader, James Earl Jones gave voice to some of the greatest characters in cinema history. A celebrated stage actor with nearly 200 film and television credits to his name, the stories he brought to life with a uniquely commanding presence and a true richness of spirit have left an indelible mark on generations of audiences," Disney CEO Bob Iger said, in a statement.

"Thank you, dear James Earl Jones, for everything. A master of our craft. We stand on your shoulders. Rest now. You gave us your best," marked actor Colman Domingo, on X.

"We are deeply saddened to hear of James’s passing. He was the voice of CNN and our brand for many decades, uniquely conveying through speech instant authority, grace, and decorum. That remarkable voice is just one of many things the world will miss about James. Our thoughts are with his family,” CNN posted on X.

"RIP James Earl Jones, the legendary actor who memorably appeared in the iconic baseball movies Field of Dreams and The Sandlot. Jones gave a moving recitation of our National Anthem at the 1993 MLB All-Star Game in Baltimore," noted Major League Baseball, on X.

"Mourning the death of University of Michigan graduate James Earl Jones. Your inspirational career and your inspiring words — heard at every home game — move us as a university community. We will miss you,” posted University of Michigan President Santa Ono on Instagram.

Shogun won the most Emmys ever for a single season of a television series with 14 at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, while The Bear won seven including best guest actress in a comedy series for Jamie Lee Curtis.

Presenters were saying Shogun all night at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles on the second night of the two-night Creative Arts Emmys, where awards are handed out that don't quite make the main Primetime Emmys ceremony. It broke the record of 13 set by the 2008 limited series John Adams before even reaching the September 15 main Emmys ceremony, when it can pad its record with up to five more.

Shogun, the FX series about political machinations in feudal Japan, won all but two of the possible 16 trophies it could have claimed on Sunday night (local time), including Emmys for costumes, makeup, editing, stunts and cinematography, along with a best guest actor in a drama Emmy for Néstor Carbonell.

As he accepted, Carbonell thanked the crew, then marvelled at how many of them were in the audience.

"You're all here! You're all nominated!" Carbonell said. "I love the team sport of this."

Curtis was emotional on stage after winning her first Emmy 18 months after winning her first Oscar for Everything Everywhere All at Once.

"I'm the luckiest girl in the world," Curtis said backstage. "I just never thought I would get to do work at this level of depth and complexity and intelligence. It's been the thrill of my creative life these last couple of years."

Asked if she could win a Grammy and a Tony to make it an EGOT, she said no way.

"I can't sing at all," she said, "and I've never been on stage".

The songwriting team of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, however, did become the 20th and 21st members of the elite EGOT club when they won their first Emmy for a song they co-wrote for Only Murders in the Building. The duo had previously won an Oscar for La La Land and a Grammy and Tony for Dear Evan Hansen.

Curtis won for the season two Bear episode Fishes, in which she played the mother of star Jeremy Allen White at a nightmare holiday family gathering. Jon Bernthal, who played White's big brother in the episode, won best guest actor in a comedy.

Michaela Coel won best guest actress in a comedy series for her appearance on Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

Shogun shook up the Emmys race when it switched from the limited series to the drama series category in May and led all nominees with 25 when nominations were announced in July.

It won so steadily that the few who beat it — it lost only in two music-composition categories — felt the need to comment on it.

"I didn't write a speech, because there was no way I was beating 'Shogun' tonight," said Siddharta Khosa, who won best music composition for a series for Only Murders in the Building.

When Eric Andŕe was asked only one question in the media room after winning his first Emmy for his performance on his self-titled talk show, he said, with fake exasperation, "Sorry I'm not on Shogun!"

Maya Rudolph and Angela Bassett were among the Creative Arts winners on Saturday night, which focused on reality and variety TV. Rudolph won her sixth career Emmy, for her voice-over work on the animated Big Mouth. Bassett won her first, for her narration of the National Geographic wildlife documentary series Queens.

Both nights of the show will be edited into a single two-and-a-half hour show that will air on FXX on September 14 and stream the following day on Hulu.

Dan and Eugene Levy will host the Primetime Emmy Awards, also at the Peacock Theater, airing on ABC on September 15.

Today was to be a day of relative rest for Donald Trump, a rare breather this deep into a presidential campaign.

Aside from sounding off on social media, golf was on the agenda. Then the Secret Service spotted the muzzle of a rifle sticking out of a fence in bushes at Trump's West Palm Beach golf club, and everything changed.

For the second time in just over two months, someone apparently tried to shoot Trump and came dangerously close to the former US president in that effort — within 457 metres Sunday (local time), law enforcement officials said. This time, the gunfire came from the Secret Service, before the suspect could get any shots off at his target.

The episode raised sharp questions about how to keep the former president safe — not only while he is campaigning across the country, but while he spends time at his own clubs and properties.

Trump has had stepped-up security since the assassination attempt on him in July, when he was wounded in the ear during an attack that laid bare a series of Secret Service failures.

When he has been at Trump Tower in New York, parked dump trucks have formed a wall outside the building. And at outdoor rallies, he now speaks from behind bulletproof glass.

But unlike typical VIPs, who live in private residences with tall fences, Trump, while in Florida, resides at a club open to dues-paying members, and often spends his down time at his golf courses. And this a toxic era in the nation's politics.

"The threat level is high," Rafael Barros, special agent in charge of the Secret Service's Miami field office, told reporters Sunday. "We live in danger times."

Sunday in the political world opened with Trump assailing a pop star on social media who had endorsed Kamala Harris — "I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT" — complaining about the post office and hitting the links. Running mate JD Vance riffed on TV about that thoroughly debunked conspiracy theory concerning immigrants and pets, refusing to disown it. Democrats were apoplectic.

All that was standard fare for the most tumultuous presidential campaign in anyone’s memory. But shortly before 2pm, the subject abruptly changed and this election was thrust ever deeper into unprecedented territory.

Trump and golf partner Steve Witkoff were on the fifth hole of the course and about to putt when they heard the "pop, pop, pop, pop", said Fox News host Sean Hannity, a close friend of the former US president who spoke with him several times afterward as well as with Witkoff.

Moments later, Hannity said, a "fast cart" with steel reinforcement and other protection whisked Trump away.

After the Secret Service noticed the rifle and then the suspect, an agent fired on him but apparently missed.

Secret Service agents immediately used their bodies to shield Trump and moved him to the golf course's clubhouse, where he remained until he went back to Mar-a-Lago about 15 minutes away, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who was not authorised to discuss it publicly and described it on condition of anonymity.

About an hour later, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the agency and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office were investigating an unspecified "protective incident involving former President Donald Trump", adding he was safe.

The meaning was highly unclear. It could have been an unrelated shooting or disturbance near Trump, for all the country knew at first. "There were about 20 or more cop cars flying from nearby streets," said Max Egusquiza, of Palm Beach, describing the emergency response he witnessed.

The Trump campaign issued a statement saying "President Trump is safe following gunshots in his vicinity". Again, no word whether he was the intended target.

But it soon became known that the Secret Service had fired shots. And about an hour after that happened, Donald J. Trump Jr. posted on X that an AK-style rifle was discovered in the bushes, "per local law enforcement".

All of that was finally followed by an FBI statement saying it is investigating "what appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump".

The suspect quickly vanished but law enforcement had managed to identify his vehicle.

Martin County Sheriff William D. Snyder said his deputies "immediately flooded" northbound I-95, deploying to every exit between the Palm Beach County line to the south and St. Lucie County line to the north.

The suspect was apprehended within minutes of the FBI, Secret Service and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office putting out a "very urgent BOLO" — or be-on-the-lookout alert — detailing the specific vehicle sought, licence plate number and description of the driver.

"One of my road patrol units saw the vehicle, matched the tag and we set up on the vehicle," Snyder said, "We pinched in on the car, got it safely stopped and got the driver in custody."

Snyder added: "He never asked, 'What is this about?' Obviously, law enforcement with long rifles, blue lights — a lot going on. He never questioned it."

With that, police arrested Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Kaaawa, Hawaii, three law enforcement officials told The Associated Press. The officials identified the suspect to AP but spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the investigation.

The suspect had left behind an AK-style rifle with a scope, two backpacks hanging on a fence with ceramic tile inside and a GoPro camera, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said.

The sheriff said the suspect was 365 to 457 metres away from Trump hidden in shrubbery, while the former US president played golf on a nearby hole.

"It was certainly an interesting day!" Trump posted on Truth Social on Sunday night. He effusively thanked law enforcement for keeping him "SAFE".

An Auckland woman has been prosecuted and banned from keeping animals for five years after birds in her care were found plucked and decorated with coloured pens.

Warning: This article contains content that could be disturbing to some people.

The SPCA said the treatment led to infections, scabs, trauma, and painful wounds for the doves. The woman told inspectors she was looking after the birds for a friend over seven days, though "she was unable to provide contact details" for the friend.

She also claimed it was "beautiful" to colour the doves.

The woman pleaded guilty and in sentencing a disqualification order was imposed, prohibiting her from keeping animals for five years, according to the SPCA. She was also ordered to pay a reparation of $2903. The charity outlined the case in a media release.

Inspectors executed a search warrant in May last year after receiving a tip-off about a "puppy and pigeons being kept in a cage together". They found a puppy, two kittens, 10 doves, one pigeon and a deceased dove at the property.

"The member of the public was concerned that the pigeons were being crushed by the puppy, were injured and bleeding," an SPCA spokesperson said.

"The puppy was in a small cage typically used for rodents, the kittens were free roaming, and the birds were kept in three cages.

"The cages containing the birds were dirty with old food and faeces, and only one of the three cages had water.

"All the birds, except two, had feather loss and coloured markings on their feathers."

The woman told inspectors she "gently plucked the feathers out of the doves to get out the live bugs that suck blood".

"The offender also told SPCA inspectors that she had used a normal coloured pen to colour the doves because it is 'beautiful'.

"She said the deceased dove was lying down and not moving much. She had placed it in a box to rest as it had no strength and couldn't eat."

Following the search, the birds were taken away for an examination by a vet.

According to the SPCA, the examination revealed "the birds were in very poor condition showing symptoms of inadequate food" and "some were in severe pain which appeared to be long-term".

SPCA chief executive Todd Westwood thanked a man for reporting his concerns.

"I'm grateful to the member of public who alerted SPCA to this situation. His concerns were legitimate, and his actions helped deliver better outcomes for everyone involved," he said.

Westwood added: "Not everyone is set up to have companion animals and able to provide for their welfare needs. If anyone is struggling with their situation and needs help to manage the care of animals, SPCA encourages you to ask for help."

From 'Opportunity', to 'Curiosity', to 'Perseverance', Vandi Verma has driven them all.

They're all rovers that have been sent to Mars in the last 20 years to help NASA learn more about the red planet.

Verma is here in New Zealand to talk to universities and schools all about her job.

"It's kind of like a video game, we put on our 3D goggles, and so you can virtually feel like you're on Mars."

She's touring the country accompanied by a life-sized replica of Opportunity built by students at the University of Auckland.

"We started with just the very basic schematics", said engineering student Koen Van Rijnsoever.

"Not really the specifics of the components or anything, I'm assuming that's still secret."

Operating the rovers isn't like driving a car or using a joystick — they're controlled by sending specific computer commands such as "Drive forward 5 metres; then turn right 90 degrees".

"We actually use graphical tools where we can put little way points and suggestions," Verma said.

"The US and New Zealand have had like a huge history of collaboration in the aerospace world", she told 1News.

"I'm here to sort of highlight it and sort of celebrate it and sort of encourage further collaboration."

She also believes we're getting closer to some big interstellar breakthroughs.

"We've learned a lot, but we're also learning that humans could potentially live on Mars and that, you know, it's starting to be the next stepping stone."

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True Spirit: History vs. Hollywood

Why did jessica watson want to sail around the world.

According to the True Spirit true story, Jessica's desire to sail solo around the world began when she was 12 when her mother read Jesse Martin's book Lionheart: A Journey of the Human Spirit to her and her siblings as a bedtime story. Jesse Martin was a German-Australian sailor who in 1999 became the youngest person to sail solo, nonstop, and unassisted around the globe. Jessica had spent much of her life on the water and had taken sailing lessons with her brother and sisters. She had spent five years living on a 16-meter cabin cruiser with her family. They also lived on a retrofitted double-decker bus for a period of time. She was quoted in The Los Angeles Times discussing the reason for her journey, "I wanted to challenge myself and achieve something to be proud of. And yes, I wanted to inspire people. I hated being judged by my appearance and other people's expectations of what a 'little girl' was capable of. It's no longer just my dream or voyage. Every milestone out here isn't just my achievement, but an achievement for everyone who has put so much time and effort into helping getting me here." As is noted in her book True Spirit: The True Story of a 16-Year-Old Australian Who Sailed Solo, Nonstop, and Unassisted Around the World , her father, Roger Watson, was against her going, and while her mother, Julie, was supportive, she was not living a missed dream vicariously through Jessica. It was clear to her coach and mentor Bruce Arms (represented to some degree by actor Cliff Curtis' Ben Bryant character in the movie) that the decision was very much her own. An image of the real Jessica Watson (left) is shown on one of the original covers of the True Spirit book. Australian actress Teagan Croft (left) appears on the new cover of the book.

How did Jessica Watson prepare for her around-the-world journey?

While conducting our True Spirit fact-check, we learned that like in the movie, she was heavily involved in the preparation for her trip, including overseeing various modifications to her boat, Ella's Pink Lady . The sailing vessel was refitted with a new galley, reconditioned water and diesel tanks, and underwent an entire reconstruction of the electrical system. By that point, Jessica had roughly 6,000 ocean and 6,000 coastal miles of sailing experience. She had also taken numerous courses, including several maritime safety and first-aid courses. She completed a radar course, diesel engine course, radio operator course, and a yachtmaster ocean theory course.

How big was Jessica Watson's boat?

Her sailing vessel, named Ella's Pink Lady , was 10.23 meters long (33.6 feet). Built in 1993, the pink boat was a Sparkman & Stephens model S&S 34. French skincare brand Ella Baché sponsored the boat, hence the naming. Jessica Watson did not own the boat. It was lent to her by Australian adventurer Don McIntrye. Jessica Watson's boat Ella's Pink Lady is pictured in real life (left) and as it's depicted in the movie (right). Photos: Facebook Jessica Watson / Netflix

Did Jessica's boat collide with a Chinese cargo ship a month prior to her leaving on her around-the-world voyage?

Yes. In answering the question, "How accurate is True Spirit ?" we confirmed that about a month before Jessica Watson left, she was en route from Brisbane to Sydney when her boat, Ella's Pink Lady , collided with the Silver Yang , a 63,000-ton Chinese bulk carrier. She had reportedly been taking a five-minute nap at the time of the collision and had failed to spot the Silver Yang on her radar prior to lying down. She also had forgotten to turn on her proximity alarms. "'No, no,' I go, 'It's alright, really, I'm okay, but lost half my mast, yeah,'" she stated after the accident. She managed to get the boat to port using the motor. Jessica said that the collision scene in the movie is "really accurate" ( Entertainment Weekly ). A final report concluded that both boats were at fault, with the Silver Yang's watchkeeper failing to maintain an adequate lookout and spot her in time to avoid her. It's true that the accident ignited even more controversy around whether a 16-year-old girl should be attempting a solo circumnavigation. - 60 Minutes Australia

Did Jessica receive a lot of pushback arguing that she was too young to sail solo around the world?

Yes. Like in the Jessica Watson movie, the prospect of a 16-year-old girl sailing solo, nonstop, and unassisted around the world indeed generated a considerable amount of controversy. Critics argued that she was too young and didn't have enough experience. The Australian Childhood Foundation raised concerns over whether a 16-year-old had the ability to fully understand the risks. Jessica would not be allowed assistance from anyone during her journey, nor would she be allowed to moor to another boat or to any port. However, advice via radio communication was permitted.

Is Cliff Curtis' character, Ben Bryant, based on a real person?

No. Ben Bryant is a fictional character that was created to represent a number of the different men who helped make Jessica Watson's journey possible. In a January 2023 Instagram post, Jessica wrote, "The fictional character Ben is one of my favourite things about the movie. Ben represents a whole team of people. While there are many who so deserve their own character @cliffcurtis_ has beautifully captured the spirit of these men who were so determined to see a young girl take on the world and the way they are some of my best mates. Forever grateful to everyone who played a part in making the voyage possible!" One of the men the Ben Bryant character represents is Jessica's mentor and project manager, fellow sailor Bruce Arms. In the book, Jessica describes Bruce as being "crucial in getting me ready." Another experienced sailor who helped Jessica was Don McIntyre. He had sailed solo around the world in 1990, and he and his wife Margie bought the boat Jessica used for her around-the-world trip. Other men who contributed were Scott Young and Andrew Fraser, who acted as Jessica's managers and helped her attract sponsors.

Did Jessica Watson forget her hairbrush?

No, at least not on her round-the-world trip. "That happened on a sea trial," she clarifies. She did use a fork, having gotten the idea from sailor Jesse Martin, who forgot his brush when he circumnavigated the globe. The movie finds Jessica (Teagan Croft) taping two forks together and using that as a brush.

What route did Jessica Watson take when she sailed around the world?

Alone with her boat and the open ocean, the True Spirit true story confirms that 16-year-old Jessica Watson completed a global circumnavigation that was almost entirely within the southern hemisphere. She set out from Sydney across the Pacific Ocean to the northeast, briefly crossing the equator into the northern hemisphere. She then crossed back over the equator and sailed southeastward far into the freezing southern waters to round South America's infamous Cape Horn, where the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans meet. From there, she sailed northeastward through the higher latitudes and round the horn of Africa before reentering the unforgiving Southern Ocean as she made her way back into Australian waters, traveling a total of 24,285 nautical miles. The Jessica Watson map below traces her voyage.

Did Jessica Watson's boat steer itself most of the time?

Yes. Jessica Watson's Pink Lady boat was equipped with a self-steering wind vane system. Jessica called the system "Parker" after the chauffer of the pink Rolls-Royce in the British television series Thunderbirds .

Is the reporter in True Spirit based on a real person?

No, at least not directly. Todd Lasance's character, reporter Craig Atherton, is not directly based on a real-life individual. Instead, he represents all of the members of the media who were naysayers and criticized Jessica's plans. "There were some that were pretty damn similar to him," she said with a chuckle. "I was protected slightly from some of the intensity of it at the time because I was just so single-mindedly focused on this thing, which you need to be to do something like that. It was my team and my poor family who caught the worst of that, but it was intense." -Entertainment Weekly

Did Jessica perform the tradition of dunking herself in salt water when she crossed the equator for the first time?

Yes. In fact, she filmed the moment and shared the equator video with her followers. It could be found via Jessica Watson's blog. "Oh, it's my first time across the equator," she stated, "so uh, it's traditional to have a dunk in salt water as you go across." She then proceeded to pour a bucket of salt water over her head, similar to what she does in the movie. Jessica Watson celebrates crossing the equator for the first time by performing the tradition of drenching herself in salt water.

Is Jessica Watson dyslexic?

Yes. "For a long time I struggled with reading and spelling," she wrote in her book, adding that she still has problems with spelling. She said that her mom and teachers realized early on that she was dyslexic. The language disorder is typically defined as a "difficulty recognizing and learning the connection between sounds and words." Jessica says that her mother always encouraged her affinity for books and read to her regularly.

What animals did Jessica Watson see on her journey?

A True Spirit fact-check reveals that Jessica reported seeing a variety of marine life, including dolphins, fish, and a blue whale. She saw various birds, including albatross that circled around her boat. In her blog, she also described a frightening moment at night when a large sea creature that she could not identify repeatedly jumped out of the water around her boat.

What did Jessica Watson do while she was on the boat?

"I always had something to do," she told 60 Minutes Australia . "I don't know what I did, but I always found something to do. There was always, you know, a boat to look after, bits and pieces of maintenance to do, and, you know, people to talk to, blogs to write, just sitting there soaking it in, reading. I read a lot, did a little bit of schoolwork." Teenage sailor Jessica Watson (left) shared this image of herself to social media during her around-the-world journey. Actress Teagan Croft (right) is pictured as Watson in the Netflix movie.

Does Jessica Watson have any siblings?

Yes. As seen in the Netflix Jessica Watson movie, she has an older sister named Emily and a younger brother and sister, Tom and Hannah. Like her parents, her siblings were able to communicate with her via her satellite phone and email as she sailed.

Did Jessica Watson get knocked out by a frying pan during a storm?

No. In the first significant storm she encounters in the Netflix True Spirit movie, Jessica is knocked out when an unsecured frying pan hits her in the head. According to Jessica, the scene never happened in real life. "I feel bad calling out some of the things that weren't quite true, but no, no frying pan," she told Entertainment Weekly . "Although there was legitimate danger with stuff flying around inside the boat in a storm — household everyday objects become deadly. Keeping your cabin tidy is something I should have been better at."

Did Jessica Watson's parents fly over in a small plane?

Yes. Though it's not shown in the film, Jessica Watson's parents flew over her boat twice during her journey. The first time was in a twin-engine plane shortly after she rounded Cape Horn (pictured below) in January 2010. The flight was paid for by the media. Due to poor weather conditions, it took three tries until her parents were able to reach her location. "Hi, mum, how are you? How do I look from up there?" she asked her mom during the flyover. "You look so small on that huge ocean," her mother replied. They both shed tears during their conversation. Her parents flew over her again in April to celebrate her entering Australian waters. On her blog, Jessica shared these images on January 14, 2010 of when she rounded Cape Horn (pictured), which is located on Hornos Island in the Hermite Islands group at the foot of South America.

Did Jessica Watson have to perform repairs during her journey?

Yes. In researching the question, "Is True Spirit accurate?" we learned that Watson indeed encountered several complications on her journey, including various repairs that she had to make to her boat. The repairs were chronicled on Jessica Watson's blog, including repairs to the mainsail, battery monitor, stove, toilet (twice), kettle, and the replacement of the wind generator blades. She eventually replaced the wind generator with a spare, and she replaced the engine's fuel pump after being plagued by engine trouble toward the end of her journey. "The little Yanmar engine is going again! A little delicately, but it is running with a water transfer pump rigged up in place of the fuel pump which had stopped working," she explained in her blog. "It's pretty dodgy with all the mismatching hoses but should do the job." As for the leak that arises in the movie, Watson says that it didn't happen in real life. "There's quite a leak in the movie that it looks like I'm fixing with blu-tack. In reality, there was nothing major, which again, was a real testament to the preparation behind it and a lot of things going right; a lot of conservative decisions." Jessica shared this photo on social media in April 2010 with the caption, "Fitting the blade to the new wind generator." Photo: Facebook

How many days was Jessica Watson alone at sea?

Jessica's solo, nonstop, unassisted around-the-world journey took 210 days (approximately seven months) and she logged 24,285 nautical miles, though her officially recognized sailing distance was considerably less. She departed Sydney Harbour on October 18, 2009 and returned on May 15, 2010.

Did Jessica encounter the monster waves shown in the movie?

Yes. She survived a total of seven knockdowns on her voyage, which is when a boat is knocked over on its side to roughly 90 degrees or less by wind or waves. In terms of sailing, it is characterized by the boat capsizing to the point that the mast touches the water. Some of the knockdowns were severe, including one in which Ella's Pink Lady was thrown upside down into the trough of a wave. Jessica clung to the handholds as things flew around the cabin and her feet inched up the wall and onto the roof, with the mast pushed 180 degrees into the water. This was one of four knockdowns that occurred during a late-January storm in the South Atlantic Ocean, which had produced 65-knot winds or greater. The True Spirit movie true story confirms that in the latter portion of her journey, Jessica encountered three monster low-pressure systems that formed in succession off Antarctica and surged through the Southern Ocean, producing 50-knot winds and gigantic waves up to 12 meters (39 feet) high.

Was Jessica Watson's boat underwater?

In an intense moment in the Netflix movie, Jessica's boat is submerged upside down and is at least 15 feet underwater. Several minutes seem to pass before her boat resurfaces. The real Jessica Watson said that this moment in the film was dramatized. "But of course, there's movie magic involved as well," she said. "There are some details that certainly don't follow the reality, and sailors will, no doubt, pick them up. The big storm scene where the boat's underwater for quite some time, in reality, wasn't that dramatic. But in that moment, it certainly felt like it. So maybe it's sort of true to the feeling behind it." -Practical Boat Owner She told Entertainment Weekly , "The 15 ft. underwater is real because my emergency beacon did self-activate as the boat sank. That happened. But the time I was upside down for, it certainly felt like a long time. I haven't really got a concept of how long it was in reality, but we are talking seconds compared to what we see in the movie, which stretches on forever in minutes and minutes and minutes. That's a little bit of an exaggeration there, but it was real to the experience of it feeling like forever."

How old was the real Jessica Watson when she completed her solo sailing trip around the world?

Like in the Netflix movie, Jessica was 16 when she sailed into Sydney Harbour on May 15, 2010 to complete her solo, nonstop, unassisted journey around the world. She stepped off the Pink Lady boat and into the arms of her relieved parents just three days before her 17th birthday. Jessica Watson steps off her boat and into the arms of her relieved parents after completing her circumnavigation.

How did Jessica Watson handle being alone at sea for so long?

Jessica says that she handled it "really well." "I'm not sure if that means that I'm really simple or not, but I really did enjoy being by myself," she told 60 Minutes Australia . "I obviously really missed everyone, you know, from the day, the minute I started out of Sydney Harbour, you know, it was something's missing and I missed everyone so badly, but I did, I really enjoyed it. You know, once I got used to it, I enjoyed, you know, the sort of freedom, the independence of being by yourself." Though we don't see it in the Jessica Watson movie, she cried after she departed and the boat with her mom and dad on it had turned back (in the film, they bid her farewell from the dock). In her book, she mentions crying when she found out her brother got his first job because she couldn't be there to congratulate him. She also describes breaking down and crying prior to passing Cape Horn when she felt like she wasn't making any headway toward the cape. Her parents were scheduled to fly over and she felt guilty that she was delaying everyone. She later describes being in a "black hole" of depression for three days when she was several hundred miles from Australia, blaming her mood on the rainy weather but then saying that justification was "complete nonsense." Jessica Watson (left) is pictured as she rounds Cape Horn in poor weather conditions. As she did in the movie (right), she was able to talk to her parents via sat-phone, including when they flew over her location. Photo: Facebook

Did Jessica expect nearly a hundred thousand people to show up to welcome her home?

No, her surprise in the movie is true to real life. "I expected a few people here to meet me," she told 60 Minutes Australia , "but what we got coming into Harbour was just completely overwhelming." Roughly one hundred thousand people packed Sydney Harbour to welcome her home, including Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who called her the "newest Australian hero," to which she really did disagree. "I don't consider myself a hero, I'm an ordinary girl," she told the crowd. "You don't have to be someone special to achieve something amazing, you've just got to have a dream, believe in it, and work hard."

Did Jessica Watson chronicle her journey in a blog?

Yes. The True Spirit true story confirms that Jessica Watson's blog featured near-daily posts that she made about her journey. She also shared many pics and several videos with her growing number of supporters. Each one of her posts received hundreds of comments, mostly wishing her well. Though she has a new website at JessicaWatson.com.au , her original blog from her journey can still be read at YougestRound.Blogspot.com . It's a must-read if you want a better idea of what her real-life trip was like. On her blog, Jessica shared this picture that she took from atop the mast of the Pink Lady in January 2010.

Did Jessica Watson's journey add up to an officially recognized circumnavigation?

No. Technically, her primarily southern journey did not go far enough north of the equator to satisfy the World Speed Sailing Record Council (WSSRC) to be a true around-the-world trip. The WSSRC, which is the official record body, recognizes a full circumnavigation of the globe as having traveled an orthodromic distance (great circle) of at least 21,600 nautical miles, the circumference of the Earth. According to Sail-World.com , Jessica's voyage came up at least 2,000 nautical miles short and therefore would not go into the WSSRC's record books as a full global circumnavigation. It's true that her own log had her traveling 24,285 nautical miles, but official sailing distances do not include the amount her vessel tacked and detoured for weather. The 1999 officially-recognized circumnavigation of one of her idols, German-Australian sailor Jesse Martin, went significantly farther north of the equator. "I could give you a million technical arguments, you know, my trip is no different to so many other people who have circumnavigated and you know become very famous for doing it," said Jessica, "but it's like I said, it doesn't worry me. There's always going to be someone out there who says something, and possibly because they just don't want to believe that it's possible for a 16-year-old to sail around the world." In her book True Spirit , she stated, "If I haven't been sailing around the world, then it beats me what I've been doing out here all this time!" Her manager, Andrew Fraser, defended her journey by pointing out that the WSSRC does not recognize records achieved by sailors who are not yet eighteen, so their input doesn't matter. He argued that it was never stated she would be going for a world record, simply that she would become the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe solo, nonstop, and unassisted ( Brisbane Times ). In the book, Jessica says that she wrote several letters to the WSSRC asking the organization what she had to do to secure the record. They responded by stating that she would not be able to since age records were no longer recognized. The "youngest" category was removed in an effort to prevent ambitious parents from sending ever-younger kids out to sea. Still, she felt that she had done everything necessary for the record, including starting and returning from the same point and crossing the equator and all meridians of longitude. She pointed out that she sailed "a little longer" than Kay Cottee's solo, unassisted, and nonstop circumnavigation, which was recognized by the WSSRC.

Where can I see Jessica Watson's boat, Ella's Pink Lady ?

The nearly 34-foot yacht was purchased jointly in 2011 by the Queensland and Commonwealth governments for $300,000. It is currently on display at the Queensland Maritime Museum. Jessica Watson is pictured with the boat Ella's Pink Lady  at the Queensland Maritime Museum, where it has been on display since 2011. Photo: Queensland Maritime Museum Facebook

Where is Jessica Watson today?

After successfully completing her around-the-world journey, Jessica wrote about it in her 2010 book True Spirit , which became the basis for the 2023 Netflix movie. The TV documentary 210 Days , narrated by Richard Branson, was also released in 2010. It featured footage of Jessica before, during, and after her solo trip. In 2011, she was named Young Australian of the Year, and in 2012, she was awarded the Order of Australia Medal. Jessica became involved in various projects, including becoming the youngest skipper in Australia's famous Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Her team, which was the youngest ever to compete, took second in their division. Humanitarian work included becoming a Youth Representative for the United Nations World Food Programme, a role that took her to far-away Laos and refugee camps in Lebanon and Jordan. According to her website, Jessica graduated from university, completed an MBA, and was a founding member of the marine start-up Deckee, which advertises itself as an "all-in-one boating app" that combines official information with crowdsourced reports, focusing on marine weather, safety alerts, activity logging, location sharing, official regulations, and local knowledge. In 2014, she gave a TEDx Talk in Brisbane in which she discussed her experience sailing around the world. She wrote a second book that was published in 2018, a sailing-themed middle-grade novel titled Indigo Blue . She's been a sought-after corporate speaker and has worked as a management consultant as part of Deloitte's Human Capital consulting team. In 2021, she was a consultant on the True Spirit Netflix movie about her 2010 circumnavigation. The real Jessica Watson (left) was a consultant on the True Spirit Netflix movie. She's pictured with actress Teagan Croft (right) who portrays her in the film. Photo: Instagram @jessicawatson_93

Is Jessica Watson married?

In 2021, tragedy struck when Jessica Watson's boyfriend of ten years, Cameron Dale, 29, died six weeks after suffering a catastrophic stroke. The pair had met at Hamilton Island's Race Week in 2011, the year after Jessica's solo circumnavigation. Like Jessica, he was a passionate sailor and had spent days trying to meet her. At the time of Cameron Dale's death, Jessica had been acting as a consultant on the True Spirit movie and continued to do so after his passing. However, she points out that she was not heavily involved in the shooting of the movie, "Because obviously, I was with Cam in an ICU (Intensive Care Unit)." On Instagram, she wrote, "On Monday, 30 August 2021 we lost our Cam – my long-term partner in every aspect of life and planned future. ... Cam and I have been inseparable since 2011, our shared world centered on messing about on boats. Describing what Cam means to me is impossible – everyone who knows us understands how much we simply loved each other. ... Being Cam's 'Jess' is the role I'm most proud of." Just over a year later, The Weekend Australian Magazine wrote an article about her loss. In it, she stated, "I've been called courageous for my sailing exploits – but the courage it's taken to get through this is incomparable." Tragically, Jessica Watson's boyfriend of ten years, Cameron Dale, passed away in 2021 after suffering a severe stroke. Photo: Facebook Jessica Watson

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Eerie pictures show abandoned pink yacht left to rot and covered in mould 10 years after it was used by Jessica Watson to sail around the world

• Australian sailor Jessica Watson sailed solo around the globe in 2009 to 2010
• The now 27-year-old was the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe at 16
• The pink yacht she used has been abandoned and left to rot, riddled with mould
• Ella's Pink Lady was sold to the Queensland Maritime Museum for $300,000
• It is now sitting outside the museum, covered in mould and has started leaking  

By Lauren Ferri For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 19:09 EDT, 13 December 2020 | Updated: 20:31 EDT, 13 December 2020

View comments

The pink yacht used by Jessica Watson to become the youngest person to sail solo and nonstop around the world ten years ago has been abandoned and left to rot.

Ella's Pink Lady, the yacht the then-16-year-old used to complete the 210-day journey in 2009, was sold to the Queensland Maritime Museum for $300,000.

It is now worth a fraction of the price paid by the State and Federal Governments as it is covered in mould and has started leaking.

Ella's Pink Lady, the yacht the then-16-year-old used to complete the 210-day journey in 2009, was sold to the Queensland Maritime Museum for $300,000 in 2011

Eerie pictures show the bright pink vessel left abandoned outside the museum after it was moved from an undercover shed

Jessica Watson is pictured at 16 years old in April 2010 during her journey holding a squid that jumped onto her boat

Eerie pictures show the bright pink vessel left abandoned outside the museum after it was moved from an undercover shed.

A replica cabin that was built by volunteers has also been mothballed, The Sunday Mail reported.

Director of Marine Auctions and Valuations Adrian Seiffert said the Pink Lady was no longer worth $300,000 as it had been out of the water for years.

'I believe the vessel could be in poor condition, and not worth a lot of money in its present condition,' he said.

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'I do not think that there would be any potential buyers, even as the vessel was sailed around the world by Jessica Watson, who would be prepared to pay a premium for the yacht.'

Ms Watson famously became the youngest person to sail around the world completely alone at age 16.

The now-27-year-old management consultant spent a total of 210 days - or close to seven months - alone when she circumnavigated the globe on a boat, using all sorts of coping mechanisms to get through her day-to-day life. 

Jessica Watson is seen being escorted by well wishers as she headed off on the solo global circumnavigation from Sydney's Middle Harbour on October 18, 2009

Ms Watson was named the Young Australian of the Year in 2011 and became the youngest person to sail from Sydney to Hobart in the race

Solo sailor Jessica Watson onboard her yacht Ella's Pink Lady with brother Tom in 2010

Ms Watson told Daily Mail Australia one of the hardest things about being isolated for a lengthy period wasn't so much being by herself, but adjusting back into normal life afterwards. 

'I hadn't seen another person's face in seven months, I'd seen land just a handful of times,' she said. 

'Even just seeing Australia again was overwhelming.' 

Ms Watson said she was thrown back into normal life at speed - meeting the Prime Minister, TV stations and all sorts of people who wanted to shake the hand of the talented sailor. 

Ms Watson famously became the youngest person to sail around the world completely alone at age 16. Pictured is a webgrab she posted on April 11, 2010 during the journey

Teen sailor Jessica Watson sails into Sydney Harbour aboard her yacht, Ella's Pink Lady, on May 15 2010

'To be able to even have a bath was a sensory overload,' she said.

'Hearing sounds and people's voices was really vivid.' 

Ms Watson was named the Young Australian of the Year in 2011 and became the youngest person to sail from Sydney to Hobart in the race.

She has since graduated from university and became a management consultant.

'It might sound funny to other people that the girl who ran away from school and studying to sail around the world ended up studying but management consultancy is something I did always want to do,' Ms Watson said.

Ms Watson told Daily Mail Australia one of the hardest things about being isolated for a lengthy period wasn't so much being by herself, but adjusting back into normal life afterwards. Pictured is Ms Watson in 2010 during Stakes Day at Flemington

'I always try to put myself out of my comfort zone. I'd given my body a workout with the sailing; now I wanted to give my brain a workout too.'

And while she is happy behind a desk for now, Jessica said she does still harbour dreams of sailing again in the future.

'I'd love to sail around the world again one day, but this time I'd like to stop at some places and enjoy it!' she laughed.

Jessica has authored a book called Indigo Blue inspired by her love of adventure and sailing, and also feels she has more novel writing in her.

WHO IS JESSICA WATSON? 

The 16-year-old embarked on her solo, unassisted and non-stop journey around the world on October 18, 2009.

She navigated some of the world's most remote oceans, travelling 23,000 nautical miles over 210 days.

Jessica's parents were widely criticised for allowing their daughter, who had been sailing since she was eight years old, to attempt the solo journey.

But the teenager proved the naysayers wrong when she returned to Sydney Harbour on May 15, 2010.

Jessica was welcomed by more than 75,000 people as she steered into Sydney, including then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

'I'm completely overwhelmed. I just don't know what to think and what to say at the moment,' Jessica said as she arrived.

The teenager ventured through the Pacific, across the equator, past Cape Horn in South America, across the Atlantic, past the Cape of Good Hope and through the Indian Ocean.

Mr Rudd said she did the nation proud, adding she was a 'hero for young Australians'.

But Jessica said she didn't consider herself a hero.

'I'm an ordinary girl who had a dream. You just have to have a dream and set your mind to it,' she told the then Australian leader.

Jessica, who was awarded Young Australian of the Year 2011, then turned her attention to literature and has written two novels.

In 'True Spirit' she recalls her seven-month journey at sea and how she navigated her 34-foot boat back to Australia.

Last year, Jessica rleased a children's adventure book called Indigo Blue.

Jessica says books have had a big impact on her and candidly recalls her struggles with dyslexia.

Share or comment on this article: Pink yacht used by Australian sailor Jessica Watson to sail the world solo is left to rot with mould

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Jessica watson, 16, youngest person to sail around the world solo.

All photos courtesy of Jessica Watson

In 1999 , fellow Australian Jesse Martin successfully completed a solo sailing trip around the planet. In doing so he became the youngest ever to circumnavigate the globe unassisted. This September, 16-year-old Jessica Watson sets off with a goal that might take that distinction away from him.

Dreaming about this since age 11

If you read comments left by readers of articles written about Jessica you’d think this was a controversial event. Her parents are getting attacked; people are questioning their decision to let her attempt this. Julie Watson, Jessica’s mum, has this response:

“A lot of people say `how ridiculous, she is 15′. But I would say if they had a daughter like mine they would let her go. She instills confidence in you.”

There’s no question she’s not your average teenager. She’s been sailing and racing dinghies since she was eight and has been dreaming about the solo trip since age 11. Fueling her fire are other inspiring sailors like Kay Cottee — the first woman solo-sailor around the world — and Jesse Martin.

To prepare herself mentally for the epic voyage, she’s reading books by people who’ve done this and how they coped. In addition, she’s talking to a sports psychologist and will also have access to the Internet and a webcam. She admits these technological advances might make it a bit easier for herself compared to previous sailors.

As far as physical preparations go, she says she’s “learning a lot about the word compromise ; everything’s a compromise, weight and performance versus comfort, power and communication.”

Ending up where she started

Making sure to follow the rules of a true circumnavigation, Jessica’s route has her starting in Brisbane, then sailing northeast across the equator to Washington Island in the North Pacific, around Cape Horn below South Africa and the Cape of Good Hope, across the Indian Ocean and finally up the east coast of Australia back to Brisbane. This plan covers around 23,000 nautical miles and will take approximately 230 days.

Her choice of transport is the S&S 34, a 34-foot yacht made famous by Jon Sanders, David Dicks and Jesse Martin after their history-making solo circumnavigations.

A few words with Jessica

Recently, Jessica was kind enough to take a few minutes out of her ridiculously busy schedule to chat with me over the phone and answer a few questions for our Matador readers:

Q. Many young travelers have a hard time convincing mom and dad to let them go on their first big trip, especially by themselves. When you decided that you wanted to try to break the record, how did your parents react when you first told them?

Yeah, mum and I had a laugh at this question. It definitely took some time. My mum came on board when she saw how determined I was and my dad only came on board quite recently, when he saw how much support we were receiving, and how determined we all were.

Q. Do you have any tips on the young travelers out there trying to get their parents’ blessings?

That they do anything possible to show them how determined, and how perfect and organized you’re going to make it.

Q. Can you describe the feeling you get when you’re out in the water?

It’s definitely something special. Yesterday I skippered the boat for the first time by myself. It was only a couple hours and was only motoring, but it is something very special…when you’re by yourself everything is more exciting. You see it in a different way, I suppose. It’s really cool.

Q. There must be a lot of things that are out of your control when you’re at sea. How do you handle that?

I never used to be very confident, I suppose, and when everything’s out of your control and you don’t know what you’re doing, when you’re not confident, then it’s scary. So, you do absolutely everything that you can and then you rely on the boat looking after you, and if you have confidence in the boat, then it isn’t some terrifying kind of feeling.

It’s not possible to be overconfident when you’re trying to do something like this, but you know, anything can come at you at any time, so you gotta be confident and constantly ready for anything. Q. I understand you’re not allowed to take on any supplies or food during your attempt. How do you do that for your estimated 230 days out there?

Yeah, it’s really careful planning because obviously it’s really important not to forget anything and you know, you get help, and you get the right advice, and you put it all together. So a lot of what I’ll be eating is freeze dried and a bit of tin and a bit of everything. So it’s just really careful planning and coordination.

Q. How do you prepare for the isolation and the unexpected?

You do what you can. You talk to the right people and you get all the advice and you can do your practice runs and all that. But when it comes down to it, there’s no way you can prepare yourself in your head for eight months alone. There’s no test for that.

How you’re gonna handle yourself after two weeks just doesn’t compare to eight months, so the only way to find out is to get out there and do it.

Q. You’re also a member and active supporter of OceansWatch. Can you talk about the importance of this, especially in the difficult times many are experiencing these days?

It’s important, and especially for sailors and yachtees, that we all do our part…and I think that that’s what they’re [OceansWatch] all about. It’s just everyone doing a little bit of what they can and chipping in. That’s how it happens.

Keeping up with the progress

Jessica is managing to find some spare moments to keep a blog up to date, talking about the preparations and what she’s going through as the departure date grows nearer. Visit her at youngestround.blogspot.com and wish her the best. Sources: Youngest Round Mooloolaba’s Jessica dreaming of the open sea Sailing solo around the world non-stop at 15

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

If you’re keen on setting sail yourself, check out Buy a Boat and Learn to Sail: 5 Lessons for the Perfect Lifestyle .

Jessica may not need a crew on this trip, but others do. Read up on How to Travel the World By Crewing On Yachts .

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