Sailing teen's critics ignorant - grandfather

Jessica Watson faces a 38,000km trip. Photo / Getty Images

The New Zealand grandfather of a teenager trying to become the youngest to sail solo non-stop around the world is convinced she can do it, and "give the fingers" to her many critics in the process.

Gordon Chisholm, of Cromwell, Central Otago is proud to see his Australian granddaughter Jessica Watson tackling a long-held dream.

Jessica, 16, set off from Sydney in her 10m yacht, Ella's Pink Lady, on Sunday and will sail into northern New Zealand waters in the first leg of a journey that will cover 38,000km, and is expected to take about eight months.

"She just came out with it one day, and said 'I'm going to do this' and she's been quite single-minded on that ever since," Mr Chisholm told the Herald.

Critics say she is too young to tackle such a mammoth journey, and point to a recent incident where her yacht collided with a 63,000 tonne cargo vessel during an attempt to sail from the Gold Coast to Sydney.

"I think a lot of that criticism has been based on ignorance," Mr Chisholm said. "I hope like mad she can give them the fingers. I think she's got a pretty good chance of doing that."

Mr Chisholm and wife Margaret plan to keep in touch with Jessica via private email, because calls to her on the yacht "cost an arm and a leg".

He has no fears for her wellbeing because he and his wife had been "partially involved in the preparations over the past few years".

In a trip earlier this year to Australia, they had done a bit of work on the yacht and met some of the team working with Jessica on the round-the-world bid.

"We are more than satisfied that everything possible is being done. So her chances are as good as anybody's chances."

Jessica's age was not a big issue, because "she's a wee bit unique for a kid of that age". "Her decision-making abilities, as far as we were concerned, were top rate."

In an entry on Monday in her blog written from the yacht, Jessica said progress had been slow, but she was enjoying the peace.

"It was pretty special this afternoon when the sea glassed right out, it was as if you could see right to the distant blue bottom, apart from huge schools of jellyfish floating past. We even had a couple of dolphins drop in to say hi."

* jessicawatson.com.au