Posted on 08/21/2012 12:54:13 PM PDT by Oztrich Boy
THE life of round-the-world sailor Jessica Watson is to be turned into a major movie that will be filmed in Sydney and the Gold Coast next year.
Watson, who was 16 when she became the youngest woman to unofficially circumnavigate the globe solo and unassisted, will be immortalised on film in True Spirit, due for release late 2013. The movie will be made by the same production team behind Soul Surfer, the hit biopic of Bethany Hamilton, who lost an arm in a shark attack and returned to be a champion. American producer David Brookwell said he had been looking out for another “inspirational family film” to make and had followed Watson’s dangerous journey with interest from afar.
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Brookwell said the movie would focus on the inspirational aspects of the voyage and was a chance to redress some of the controversy surrounding the trip. At the time Watson came in for criticism for being too young and inexperienced for such a monumental undertaking and her parents blasted for allowing her to make the trip.
“It’s really important to understand the preparation of her voyage because there was so much on the negative side and I don’t think the critics fully understood what she did and the fact that Jessica really drove this project – it was hers,” says Brookwell.
“Her parents were not living vicariously through her. The clear message here is that if you have a dream and work hard at it, you can make that happen.”
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
Ping!
What a great way to get the kid out of the house so I can have their room and they won’t be around to bother the missus and me.
Good on her! Boats are still boats, and the ocean is still the ocean, but some things diminish the “prize” in the new millenium. First, sail handling systems are perfected for this type of voyage. That might not sound like much, but it’s huge. More importantly, with sat phones and global emergency beacons, if you get into serious trouble, you have a “rescue net” under you.
It’s still great, though.
I met her at a boat show some years ago and she had some great stories about her experience.
Later, I was waxing enthusiastic to my much younger girl-friend. who knew zip about sailing, about how difficult it would be to sail a boat around the world single-handed.
Her response was a classic: “Nuh-uh. I don’t believe it. I bet she used both hands when she was out of sight.”
Young girls! Ya gotta love ‘em ‘cause they keep you young at heart.
I followed her progress throughout her trip and will be first to go see the movie with my crew!
Years ago when I needed diversion from life I used to spend hours reading this site. At that time there was a section of sailing wreck stories from the 70’s back that had survival tales that were incredulous.
http://www.boat-links.com/boatlink.html
One of my favorites, Joshua Slocomb. http://www.eldritchpress.org/js/saaw.htm
Yeah, me too. Met her at aboat show long ago. She got married and swallowed the anchor, I hear. Like Robin Lee Graham 20 years earlier than Tania.
Wow! What a master linke home page! You just sent me to another universe of links!
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