-
Teen sailor Jessica Watson - Source: Getty Images -
Related
Lone sailor Jessica Watson has rounded the Cape of Good Hope and the next time she sights land it will be Australia.
The Sunshine Coast teenager safely made her way around the rocky headland in South Africa on Wednesday, staying far offshore from the treacherous landmark.
She is in the Indian Ocean heading directly for the West Australian coast.
But she will need to remain patient, she has still got a long way to go before she completes her quest to become the youngest person to sail solo and unassisted around the world.
"I'm really thrilled to have another cape down and to be in the Indian Ocean," Jessica said in her blog.
"Next target is Australia."
Her spokesman Andrew Fraser spoke to Watson on Tuesday, before she rounded the cape, and said she'd likely celebrate with a good meal.
"She usually celebrates by cooking up a storm," Fraser sais.
"Her mum usually packs something nice for the milestones, but we're waiting to see what it will be this time."
Fraser said Watson was in her highest spirits since leaving Sydney Harbour on October 18 last year.
"She's very happy, probably the best she's been during the trip," he said.
"It's great, we're all stoked, it's really encouraging."
Watson still has a long way to go - it's 4000 nautical miles to Western Australia and a further 3000 to reach the finish line in Sydney.
She is ahead of schedule and is expected to arrive before late May, shaving days, or weeks off what was tipped to be a 230-day adventure.
The sail through the Indian Ocean is expected to be smooth compared to her harrowing experience in the southern Atlantic last month.
She endured a 12-hour storm on January 23, with hurricane-force winds of up to 65 knots and swells of up to 10 metres.
During the storm her vessel, Ella's Pink Lady, was knocked down a number of times.
