Dutch girl, 14, sets sail in secrecy

August 22, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Associated Press

PORTIMAO, Portugal

A 14-year-old Dutch sailor departed in secrecy from Gibraltar on Saturday on her quest to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world — avoiding the media because, her manager said, she didn’t want the attention.

Laura Dekker was in good spirits as she started sailing her 38-foot ship “Guppy” from the British territory bordering the southwestern tip of Spain, on a trip expected to last a year or more, her manager, Peter Klarenbeek, said.

The attempt has been criticized by Dutch child- protection authorities, who questioned the wisdom of a child’s risking the world’s oceans alone. Dekker’s departure itself was kept a secret from international media, who descended on Portugal but failed to capture images of it.

“She said goodbye to her father and friends, and she sailed away into the horizon,” said Holland’s MasMedia company, which has exclusive TV rights to film her voyage.

Laura had been scheduled to depart from Portimao, in southwestern Portugal, where she arrived from Holland last week before embarking on final sea trials. But Marijke Schaaphok, MasMedia’s director, said the girl ended up leaving from Gibraltar because Portugal issues permits for sailing ocean vessels only to people 18 or older.

This regulation does not apply on British territory, Schaaphok said. Laura also “did not want to speak to the media” gathered in Portimao, Klarenbeek said.