Laura Dekker sets sail for new home in New Zealand

Monday 20 August 2012

Teenage solo around-the-world sailor Laura Dekker is on her way to New Zealand which she plans to make her home, according to local media.

Dekker was born on her parents’ yacht when it was docked in New Zealand but raised in the Netherlands. She has dual citizenship.

According to New Zealand papers, she has now sailed out of Tahiti and is due in the country early next month. Dekker turns 17 in September.

‘After these years sailing all over the world, I'm on my final trip to New Zealand. It's strange but I'm also really looking forward to it,’ Dekker said in her blog last week.

Record

Dekker became the youngest person to sail around the world single-handed when she arrived at the Caribbean island of St Maarten in January this year. The trip is not recognised by the Guinness Book of Records.

The girl had originally wanted to start the trip when she was 14 but was made a ward of court after Dutch judges said the trip was too risky and she was not properly prepared.

On her arrival at St Maarten, Dekker had replaced the Dutch flag with that of New Zealand, a gesture she later said was a sign of her anger and frustration at how she was treated by the Dutch authorities.

© DutchNews.nl