Jessica Watson is hoping to become the youngest person to ever sail single-handed around the world. And, she is one step closer today.

The 16-year-old faced 16 foot waves during her trip from the Gold Coast, but conditions eased on the weekend as she sailed closer to Sydney.

After arriving at The Spit in Middle Harbour, she was surprised by the turnout.

“It’s not quite the welcome I expected,” she said, “It’s amazing how many people came out to say hi.”

She said the voyage from Queensland to Sydney had been great preparation for her longer expedition. She claims her biggest challenge now is getting her land legs back!

By the way, this was her second attempt to reach Sydney, her first trial last month ended when her yacht collided with a cargo ship.

Which leads to the debate about her ability to sail around the world for some, including the Queensland government.

“It gave me a lot of confidence because I haven’t had that sort of exposure at sea before, and now I know I can really handle it,” she said, “We made the decision a long time ago I was going, and the only thing left to do was do it properly and make it safe.”

One drawback, believe it or not, she suffers from sea sickness!

But, what about homesickness?

“I’m sure I’m going to miss people a lot, but I’m going to have a lot of communication with people back home, by cell phone and that sort of thing,” she said.

The other “things” she is taking: music and books, and if she gets really bored, she says she will even tackle her school work.

A departure date for Jessica’s around-the-world attempt has not yet been announced, but it is speculated she will leave Sydney within the next two weeks. The voyage is expected to take about 240 days.

We will keep you updated on Jessica’s journey. The AWM staff wishes her safe travels!