How far would you go to achieve your sailing dream? Dutch sailor Laura Dekker went further than most to become the youngest person to solo circumnavigate the world. She faced the scrutiny of a critical media, court battles with the Dutch state, psychological testing, the confiscation of her boat and the threat of being removed from her parents.
‘I clung onto hope and just kept going, hoping something would change,’ she recalled. ‘I am quite a positive thinking person so I like to keep going, but I definitely had low moments.’
Dekker and her parents were surprised by the Dutch state’s fierce opposition to her plans.
Born in Whangarei, New Zealand while her parents were sailing around the globe, Dekker grew up on the water and on boats. Sailing was just a normal part of her life.
‘To us, it wasn’t as crazy as it seemed to so many other people, especially for me, because sailing was literally all
