By Jennifer Humphreys
A teenager with strong links to New Zealand has landed in St Maarten to complete an epic solo sailing voyage around the world.
Laura Dekker, who lives in the Netherlands, turned 16 during the year-long trip and says that makes her the youngest person to sail alone around the globe – a voyage that covered 50,000 kilometres
It was reported earlier this week that Laura Dekker had torn down the Netherlands flag and replaced it with a New Zealand one, but there was no sign of it as her boat Guppy came into view.
During the 12 month journey the young sailor has coped with ripped sails, high swells and nearly collided with 2 cargo ships but she was all smiles as she stepped ashore to be greeted by her family.
“Of course there were moments when I thought what the hell am I doing, but there was never a moment when I wanted to stop, it's a dream and I wanted to do it,” says Dekker.
The solo round the world attempt has been a long time coming, as a 14 year old she won a prolonged legal battle against child protection agencies that blocked her departure over safety fears.
And now she's beaten Australian Jessica Watson to the title of youngest person to circumnavigate the globe, Watson was a few days off her 17th Birthday when she completed the trip.
The young sailor who was born on a yacht in New Zealand waters says she would like to move here once she finishes school and would like to make the journey of course in her sailing boat.
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