Re: Jessica Watson has returned.
 

Don't know too much about the back story, but I heard on the radio today that she was heavily sponsored for the trip so I don't think her parents actually funded it.

But, lets say for arguments sake, she IS from a privileged background. What would it matter really?? No amount of cash would make you more or less able to withstand what she has gone through. I really do think it should be celebrated that a kid of that age has shown so much bravery, stamina and skill to achieve what she has achieved. Its nothing to do with her what background her parents have or how much money they have, when it came to it, she was out on her own with sleep deprivation doing an extremely physical and dangerous job for months on end. Well done to her.

Re: Jessica Watson has returned.
 

Mate you really have to leave yer self alone at night.......:rofl:mm

Re: Jessica Watson has returned.
 

Yeah, bet he bats himself off to sleep with Paris.

Re: Jessica Watson has returned.
 

So it doesn't matter if shes from a prviliged background, but then a would a kid whose parents are poor be able to do the same thing, l doubt it.

Re: Jessica Watson has returned.
 

Depends what you class as poor. A young girl who never did year 10 or a girl who was married off at 13.

Re: Jessica Watson has returned.
 

Yes, I doubt it too, but does that mean that Jessica should not have taken the opportunity? Are you saying that some people should not be able to follow their dreams because there are other people in the world who might not be able to afford to?

It just think its odd that this thread started out saying well done to a girl who has achieved something remarkable but it has been turned into a debate about privilege.

Re: Jessica Watson has returned.
 

Most kids parents can't afford to buy them a yatch to sail around the world , so obvioulsy only a rich kid would have the chance to do it.

Re: Jessica Watson has returned.
 

It stands to reason that she would be sponsored for such a trip. Even Formula 1 cars are sponsored. If she was so rich her parents would have shouldered the bill.

Re: Jessica Watson has returned.
 

Her parents did not buy the yacht. It is owned by her sponsors.

Re: Jessica Watson has returned.
 

Thats a losers attitude. Suppose you would expect the DSS to pick up the tab if your kid did it.

Re: Jessica Watson has returned.
 

:rofl:

Re: Jessica Watson has returned.
 

What a complete knob. She made national news exactly for what she did, nothing to do with her background. Besides who cares if she is from a privileged background. Stop being so green eyed,envious and mean spirited and hey here's an idea, hire a boat and give it a go yourself.:rofl:

Re: Jessica Watson has returned.
 

My folks weren't rich, my dad worked for the water board when I was born, my mum worked on the land, potatoes, sprouts, beans etc hard yakka . They've owned a yacht since I was a small child. At school I was teased by jealous kids because "daddy owned a yacht"
The simple reality was, my dad took me on holiday to Butlins at Minehead when I was about 3. We spent nearly the full week sailing in a Mirror Dinghy on their boating lake. He was hooked for life, came home worked hard & saved & bought a small 22 ft boat. We used to launch it from Cleethorpes beach.
I remember having a pint in the local with my dad years later & one of the blokes was taking the piss about the boat my dad was building in our garden.
"You must be rich" he quipped "
"Nope" says dad "I just saved the same amount of money you spend on cigarettes & bought a boat instead"

The S & S 34 that Jessica used is an old boat by today's standards. Way back in the 1969 Ted Heath won the Sydney to Hobart in "Morning Cloud" an S & S 34 footer. They retail second hand between 50 & 60k, cheaper than a new Prado, so you don't need to be mega rich to own one.
As I said on the other thread it's a fantastic achievement for Jessica, shame some people seek only to denigrate her voyage.

Re: Jessica Watson has returned.
 

My dad built a yellow mirror dinghy too. My mum made wetsuits for the 4 of us from a pattern because she couldn't afford to buy the real thing!

We also played golf because in my area it was a popular pastime and easily accessible. There is a perception that it's a middle class sport but it's not.

There are thousands of sailing clubs in Oz, you don't need to own a dinghy/yacht to sail or be wealthy - to be honest some of the comments smack of jealousy and 'tall poppy' syndrome.

ETA: do we know the family background of every Olympic winner/Formula 1 racing drivers/tennis players...... should we be denying all these fantastic sportspeople their achievements too?

Re: Jessica Watson has returned.
 

Yer wot?

For my sins, I was a sailor in my teens, represented my county and school at national level and I (and the rest of the squad) were all staunchly working class. As were all the pupils and assessors on the RYA Sailing Instructors course I completed.

You don't need to be wealthy to go sailing in England, although I accept that lots of wealthy people do.

Sailing solo around the world at any age is an amazing achievement. Sailing around a reservoir, so not even offshore, for an afternoon's racing was bloody hard enough! Just dealing with the isolation and the long, boring bits would be a challenge that many couldn't deal with.

(That last bit is just directed generally at the thread :) )