Australia's former world record holder for being the youngest person to sail solo around the world has encouraged a 16-year-old schoolgirl to continue with her own attempt.
Jessica Watson left Mooloolaba on Queensland's Sunshine Coast on Tuesday on a 10-day preliminary solo journey to Sydney in her 10.4-metre sloop Ella's Pink Lady.
However, at 2.30am (AEST) on Wednesday, her yacht crashed into a 63,000-tonne cargo ship believed to be heading north, 15 nautical miles east of North Stradbroke Island's Point Lookout.
Jesse Martin, who became the youngest person to sail solo around the world in 1999 when he was 18, said Ms Watson's incident happened on a training trip and there was still time to fulfil her dream.
"Everyone's got something in their mind they want to be doing and she's out there doing it like I did and I think that's a great thing," Mr Martin told ABC Radio.
"I'm certain she'll probably get out there again ... I still think she should."
Mr Martin covered 27,000 nautical miles in 328 days by himself in his 1999 world record attempt, which was broken last month by 17-year-old Briton Mike Perham.
Ms Watson's media spokesman Scott Young described the collision as a "small incident" and said she would continue her journey after repairs were made.
Ms Watson hopes to become the youngest person to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around the world.
