▁experience ▁were ▁also ▁expressed ▁by ▁Phil ▁Jones , ▁the ▁CE O ▁of ▁Y ach ting ▁Australia , ▁and ▁by ▁Grant ▁Wh aring ton , ▁the ▁ski pper ▁of ▁Sk and ia , ▁with ▁Wh aring ton ▁stating ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁im pressed ▁by ▁Watson ▁when ▁they ▁had ▁met , ▁but ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁ad vised ▁her ▁to ▁gain ▁experience ▁by ▁undert aking ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁shorter ▁solo ▁pass ages ▁before ▁attempting ▁the ▁circ umn avigation , ▁although ▁she ▁chose ▁not ▁to ▁follow ▁his ▁advice . ▁A ▁more ▁general ▁concern ▁was ▁raised ▁by ▁the ▁Australian ▁Child hood ▁Foundation , ▁who ▁question ed ▁whether ▁a ▁ 1 6 - year - old ▁girl ▁would ▁have ▁the ▁ability ▁to ▁fully ▁understand ▁the ▁ris ks ▁that ▁such ▁a ▁vent ure ▁would ▁involve . ▁ ▁Circ umn avigation ▁scr ut iny ▁S ail ing ▁website ▁S ail - World . com ▁published ▁an ▁analysis ▁on ▁ 3 ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁which ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁expected ▁rh umb ▁line ▁distance ▁travel led ▁by ▁Watson ▁was ▁, ▁which ▁was ▁less ▁than ▁the ▁required ▁distance ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁definition ▁set ▁by ▁the ▁World ▁S ail ing ▁Speed ▁Record ▁Council ▁( W SS RC ), ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁journey ▁was ▁therefore ▁in el ig ible ▁to ▁claim ▁world ▁record ▁status ▁for ▁round - the - world ▁jour ne ys . ▁The ▁equivalent ▁orth od rom ic ▁distance ▁for ▁Watson ' s ▁route ▁would ▁be ▁. ▁The ▁W SS RC ▁definition ▁states ▁in ▁part ▁" The ▁short est ▁orth