She has actually done it: As the youngest person in history has the 16-year-old Laura Dekker circumnavigated the world alone. The young Dutch woman arrived on Saturday, the West Indies island of St. Martin in the Caribbean, where she was received by her parents, her sister and hundreds of onlookers. With an entry in the Guinness Book of Records can not expect Dekker.

“I am not even aware of what happened to me,” Dekker said at a press conference shortly after their arrival. “Sometimes I asked myself what Im doing.” But the journey was always “pleasant” was. “I have often seen dolphins. I had lots of fun and am very happy.” The next day they would bring it to brush their sail boat – and then go back to school.

Family and friends received Dekker in St. Martin

Their relatives and many friends were sailing towards the young adventurer, to receive them. At the country got dressed in denim shorts and a black T-shirt 16-year-old then give flowers.

Laura Dekker goes with the successful completion of their journey as the youngest solo Weltumseglerin in the story. She was on 21 August 2010 at the age of 14 years with her 11.50-meter-long two-masted “Guppy” from the port of Gibraltar set out on their adventure. The Dove even then she had made ​​at St. Martin-20th Started in January 2011, ie almost exactly a year. On the part of France and the Netherlands belong to some Caribbean island she had previously spent about a month.

Much criticism of Dekker’s journey

Previous record holder was the Australian Jessica Watson, who in May 2010, three days before her 17th Birthday completed their circumnavigation, Dekker is only produced on 20 September 17 years old and would thus have had eight months to break the record as the youngest Weltumseglerin. But while Watson finished their tour in one piece, Dekker sailed from port to port, more than three weeks at a time, she was never on the open sea.

The performance of the young Dutch woman, however, will not be included in the Guinness Book of World Records. Since 2009, records of minors are no longer recognized there. The organization World Sailing Speed ​​Record Council (WSSRC) will not receive Dekkers record – because there is simply how fast someone sailed around the earth, but not how old he is.

Dekker’s journey had taken care of because of their youth for criticism. The circumnavigation should actually begin in September 2009, children off guard, however, the judicial one. Meanwhile, crack Dekker in the Caribbean, and had to be retrieved by the police. Only after a long dispute with the Dutch authorities was the adventurer, the judicial consent for her solo circumnavigation.