Laura Dekker Sets Sail

Dutch teen slips quietly out of Portuguese port
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Aug 21, 2010 9:14 AM CDT
Laura Dekker Sets Sail
In this file photo dated Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2010 Laura Dekker hoists a flag of The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society on her boat in the harbor of Den Osse, southwest Netherlands.   (BAS CZERWINSKI)

Fourteen-year-old Laura Dekker quietly slipped out of an undisclosed Portugal port today, beginning her controversial quest to become the youngest person to sail around the globe. The Dutch teen began her journey, expected to take at least a year, on a nearly windless day, notes the AP. "She said goodbye to her father and friends and she sailed away into the horizon," MasMedia, which has exclusive TV rights, said in a statement.

Media crews from around the world had descended on Portimao, where Laura was supposed to sail from. But the girl departed from elsewhere, leaving photogs with no images. MasMedia, which has remote cameras mounted on Laura's yacht to document her journey, graciously offered to sell images starting tomorrow. (More Laura Dekker stories.)

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