STORM2K

That girl who was attemting to be the first to go around the world alone is lost at sea. Lets hope they can find her. Here is the story.


http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/news/story?id=5272149


Sunderland, 16, reportedly in troubleEmail Print Comments ESPN.com news services

Abby Sunderland, a 16-year-old sailor attempting to circumnavigate the globe by herself in a sailboat, is feared lost at sea, according to ABCNews.com.

Sunderland activated two emergency beacons between 7 and 9 a.m. ET on Thursday, her mother, MaryAnne, told ABCNews.

An engineer on Sunderland's support team, Jeff Casher, said the beacons indicate that she is in trouble. He said that he last talked with Sunderland around 9 a.m. ET, when she told him she had been knocked down twice because of strong winds. The wind ripped the radar off the boat, Casher said.

MaryAnne Sunderland told ABCNews that her daughter was in 20-25 foot waves off the coast of Madagascar. She is about 500 miles north of the Antarctic Islands.

Her last blog entry on Wednesday night said she had encountered some rough weather. "The wind is beginning to pick up. It is back up to 20 knots and I am expecting that by midnight tonight I could have 35-50 knots with gusts to 60 so I am off to sleep before it really picks up," she wrote on her blog.

Sunderland, who is from Thousand Oaks, Calif., left from Marina del Rey on Jan. 24. Her 40-foot boat is called "Wild Eyes".

Sunderland's trek was designed to break the record for youngest person to circumnavigate the globe alone. The current record holder is 17-year-old Mike Perham of Britain, who took the mark last year from Abby's then-17-year-old brother, Zac.

and she can't be tracked by GPS? I would put that in my boat if I plan to travel the world.

I can't imagine what her parents are going through right now. I hope that they do find her alive. It doesn't sound too good.

This is so dissapointing in that she actually already failed to set the record and still tried to finish. I kind of question the age and mentality of these youngins. Sure we have kids climbing Mt Everest..with a masssive support team. Sailing alone around the world for anyone is a massive challenge. Some people call those who climb mountains selfish and foolish for not thinking of thier family if they die. I can't help but feel there is a little of that here as well..and her parents let her go ALONE..I am not sure about that descision and the pressure her brothers success had on her doing it. These are serious mental and physical challenges for anyone.

May you fight for your life vigilantly Abby
May the weather change for the good
May you hear our raised voices of hope
That you are found quickly and with grace have the ocean withstood.

This article sounds a little more hopeful..

http://www.startribune.com/nation/96073 ... page=2&c=y


Rescue ships on way after California teen girl lost at sea during solo sail around the world
By JOHN ANTCZAK , Associated Press

Last update: June 10, 2010 - 7:40 PM

LOS ANGELES - A 16-year-old Southern California girl attempting a solo sail around the world was feared in trouble Thursday thousands of miles from land in the frigid, heaving southern Indian Ocean after her emergency beacons began signaling and satellite phone communication was lost.

An international effort to rescue young Abby Sunderland began, but the vast distances meant long hours of waiting for her family and support team, which expressed confidence that she was alive because the beacons were deliberately turned on rather than set off automatically.

"She's got all the skills she needs to take care of what she has to take care of, she has all the equipment as well," said brother Zac, himself a veteran of a solo sail around the world at age 17.

Australian Maritime Safety Authority spokeswoman Carly Lusk said three vessels were sent from the French territory of Reunion Island and an aircraft was dispatched from Perth on a four-hour flight to Abby's location more than 2,000 miles from both Africa and Australia.

Qantas airlines said in a statement that an Airbus A330 tasked by the safety authority took off at 7:53 a.m. Friday Perth time (23:53 GMT) and its crew would try to spot the sailboat.[/quote]It was not clear when the surface vessels left, but it would take a day for the nearest ship to reach the area. Reunion Island is off Madagascar, the very large island along the east coast of Africa.

Support team member Jeff Casher said the two emergency beacons were continuing to broadcast and GPS location data showed they were together and drifting at 1 mph. He believed the beacons were on Abby's boat but said they could be with her on a raft.

Casher offered several scenarios: The boat may have flipped over and Abby could still be inside; the boat's mast may have been damaged; or she was injured and could not pilot the boat. He said that if the boat flipped, the hull would prevent her from calling from her satellite phone

Conditions can quickly become perilous for any sailor exposed to the elements in that part of the world.

"We've got to get a plane out there quick," said family spokesman Christian Pinkston, adding that the teen's family in Thousand Oaks was asking for prayers for her safety.

Her brother said Abby was prepared and mentally tough. "I really wish I could see her and hope she gets through this one," he told reporters outside the family home.

Abby last communicated with her family at 4 a.m. PDT Thursday and reported 30-foot swells but was not in distress, Pinkston said.

Casher said Abby had to make repeated calls with her Iridium satellite phone because of sketchy connections. He said she had been in rough weather and had a problem with her engine, which she eventually managed to start. The team then asked her to check other things on the boat.

"She hung up to go check some things and she never did call back," he said.

An hour later the family was notified that her emergency beacons had been activated, and there was no further communication.

Her brother said the boat was most likely not completely submerged because another beacon would be triggered at a depth of 15 feet.

Derrick Fries, a U.S. sailing instruction and safety expert, said Abby's circumstances were very unclear.

"It's hard to determine if she's rolled over, swamped, or washed overboard. She has to have a dry suit on to have any chance," he said. "To be capsized in the middle of the ocean with waves crashing relentlessly down, not just for hours, but days, I can't tell you how difficult those conditions are."

A lifelong sailor whose father is a shipwright and has a yacht management company, Abby set sail from Los Angeles County's Marina del Rey in her 40-foot boat, Wild Eyes, on Jan. 23 in an attempt to become the youngest person to sail around the world alone without stopping. Her brother briefly held the record in 2009.

Link - http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/news/s ... n-roug.asp

Breaking News California teen sailor Abby Sunderland has made radio contact with family, is believed safe

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100611/ap_ ... ost_at_sea

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – A family spokesman says searchers have contacted a 16-year-old Southern California girl who was feared lost at sea and she is alive and well.

William Bennett said late Thursday night that searchers aboard an Airbus A330 spotted Abby Sunderland's boat in an upright position and made contact with her via radio.

Speaking outside the family's Thousand Oaks home, Bennett said Sunderland said she was inside the boat and doing fine with a space heater and at least two weeks worth of food.

Bennett said the mast had broken off the disabled boat.

He said a fishing vessel was en route to pick her up. The vessel is expected to reach her in about 40 hours.

Saw the family speaking out this morning on GMA. Sounds hopeful, boat is upright and fine but she lost the ability to sail anywhere. Her parents seem pretty confident that she will be okay they didn't seem to be too worried at all.
Did you know her brother made the same around the world trip when he was 17? Wow.

Sorry, I would never be able to let my 16 year old sail around the world solo. I'm relieved that she is ok. Now, who is going to absorb the cost of the rescue plane and boats? IMO, the parents need to pay for it.

CajunMama wrote:Sorry, I would never be able to let my 16 year old sail around the world solo. I'm relieved that she is ok. Now, who is going to absorb the cost of the rescue plane and boats? IMO, the parents need to pay for it.

Well Said! When people put themselves in a life threatening situation for their own personal desires they need to pay for problems..

CajunMama wrote:Sorry, I would never be able to let my 16 year old sail around the world solo. I'm relieved that she is ok. Now, who is going to absorb the cost of the rescue plane and boats? IMO, the parents need to pay for it.

I agree and I hope that the parents had prepared for something like this $$$.

I'm glad that she was found alive and well.

Glad she was rescued, and bravo to her! Not only were her actions responsible beyond most adults' actions, but she knew when enough was enough. She knows more about sailing than most adults, was well trained and prepped, and took on a problem with the courage of a soldier on the battle field.

Everyone keeps saying "oh her parents should of never let her go". One, girls usually mature before guys, and we let guys go off into battle fields at the age of 18 (not to mention drive VEHICLES at 15 or 16...with cell phones!)...what is the difference? Nothing. Both risk your life, and if you are not mature enough to handle it, you shouldn't be there. In this case, I'd gladly have her as the captain of my vessel, I don't know squat about sailing...let alone most of the various emergency equipment such vessels use.

I think it is quite apparent she was mature and responsible enough to try to tackle a voyage such as this. It is sad she will not be able to complete it, how many people can say they've sailed around the world solo, even if you didn't set a record? But glad she took safety over pride.

AUSTRALIA TO FOOT BILL FOR ABBBY RESCUE- ABBY HAS BEEN RESCUED
Sat Jun 12 2010

Australian authorities say they will not attempt to recover the costs of the search and rescue operation for stranded US teen sailor, Abby Sunderland.
Crew on a Qantas plane made contact with the 16-year-old, who was in trouble in rough seas on Friday, and a French fishing boat is expected to rescue her today.

The Californian adventurer, who was trying to sail solo around-the-world, activated two distress signals on Thursday night in mountainous seas and an international rescue operation was launched involving Australian and French authorities.
A spokesman for Qantas says an Airbus aircraft found the teenage sailor in an area about 2,000 nautical miles off the West Australian coast.

Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) chief executive Mick Kinley told reporters he did not know how much the operation would have cost Australian authorities, but there are no plans to recoup the money.
"We would expect people to rescue any Australian yachtsman in these conditions," he said.
"It's our obligation to do this and we'll fulfil those obligations as Australia does."

A plane carrying the crew which made contact with the teenager has arrived back in Perth.

"The yacht was de-masted, so it was just a very small dot on the ocean. She was on the back deck, she was very hard to see in the seas, the rigging is hanging over the side, but she sounds very upbeat herself," he said.

The French territory of La Reunion has sent two fishing boats to rescue her and the first vessel reached her yacht late on Saturday.
Abby was rescued by French fishermen after 2 days of battle with gale force winds and freezing temperatures. The rescue was confirmed at 7:45pm Eastern Australian time. It was a daring rescue by all accounts, with the ship's captain having fallen into the rough surf during the attempt, but he was recovered.

Australian taxpayers are expected to cover some of the cost of the rescue, which is belived to have already cost more that $AUS 200,000.

To many people making to much of a big deal! someone always going to hate. Im sure the Wright brothers heard complaints and amelia earhardt. Im glad she did it..I hope she tries again and accomplishes HER GOAL SHE WAS SET OUT for.

I disagree that "To many people making to much of a big deal" and i don't feel we were "hating" on her. The article was copied and pasted and we gave our opinions on how we felt about it. Because we evidently don't agree with your opinion, you shouldn't undermine our opinion. Jus' saying

I am not saying anything is wrong with your opinion. I agree because while I dont mind her trying for that goal i WOULD NOT let my daughter do that ALONE. she would need to be tailed by a boat along side her. lol everyone is entitledto thier opinion and I for one would neevr stop anyone or anything I am talking about the article on yahoo where the ywere complaining about the cost and everytjing else. No one said anything about that air balloon guy who tried to go around the world.

I'm sorry StormingB81. I thought you were talking about those of us who had replied in the thread.

No only Saints fans..lol IM KIDDING! no no no I would never talk bad about anyone here. maybe a little trash talking in a sports thread but no I love a good debate! everyone has their right to an opinion who am I to tell them they cant or I dont like. I may disagree but sometimes this world would be a better place if we just agreed to disagree!