Jessica Watson: “You just have to have a dream”
16yo sailor Jessica Watson has returned home to a huge welcome at Sydney Harbour with boats, helicopters, cheering spectators and 3 TV networks.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
A tearful 16 year old sailor Jessica Watson has returned home to a huge welcome at Sydney Harbour, welcomed by a huge flotilla of boats, helicopters, cheering spectators in pink, and three television commercial networks.
After her 7 month around the world trip on Ella’s Pink Lady nobody would begrudge her late arrival at 3pm, but it kept the networks and live hosts having to peddle longer.
Sponsor network TEN had to switch to its AFL commitments at 2:08pm, allowing ONE to continue the coverage.
Seven’s V8 commitments at 2:30pm saw it continue coverage on 7TWO.
Nine stayed with the coverage all the way through.
After she had crossed the finish line, Australian Customs boarded the yacht followed by a TEN camera crew and previous round-the-world sailors Jesse Martin and Mike Perham, who both interviewed Watson live on her route to the Sydney Opera House.
Seven even included the TEN / ONE interviews live in its coverage and cut to ONE footage as she stepped onto the dock. Nine also used ONE feed to complement its coverage.
Watson was wearing a ONE t-shirt as she stepped off Ella’s Pink Lady, indicative of the sponsorship from the network. She walked a pink carpet to the stage with family who helped her with regaining her land legs after 7 months at sea.
Watson was officially congratulated in lengthy speeches by PM Kevin Rudd and NSW Premier Kristina Keneally in a ceremony hosted by Sandra Sully.
“It’s completely overwhelming,” she said of the welcome reception.
“But it’s slowly sinking in.’
Asked about the perils at sea she said, “I had my tough times, but I got through.
“Having confidence in the boat was everything.”
Watson was humble in her achievement telling the nation people didn’t realise what 16year old girls could achieve. She thanked her family, sponsors and supporters and even ‘disagreed’ with the Prime Minister that she was a new Australian hero.
“I’m an ordinary girl with an ordinary dream,” she said.
“You just have to have a dream believe in it and work hard.
“Anything really is possible.”
Share
- Tagged with AFL, Jessica Watson: The Homecoming Live, V8 Supercars
38 Responses
Lighten up Jay !
TV stations constantly use footage from other networks, probably not so much from a live broadcast but it happens all the time. This event was the best advertising for 1HD, promotional gold!!!
Well done Jess.
This country should take a hard look at itself!!!
The Prime Minister turns up for a girl in a boat – with a media frenzy – but doesn’t for the various rally’s around the country to demand equal human rights! WTF!!! Get your priorities together Australia!!!
Equal Love should of been the focus of yesterday – not a girl arriving home in a boat!!!
I too found it funny that Seven and Nine piggybacked One’s live stream, although was interesting to note the picture quality of the One coverage on Seven & Nine was shocking (especially Nine). Round of applause to the person who thought “lets cover almost a quarter of the screen with Ten & OneHD tags”, although intrusive, it was funny to see these on rival networks.
Good on ya Jessica – and good on ya for disagreeing with Rudds “hero” tag … I though he went a bit over the top calling her that, and I’m glad she did too.
Rudd did not come off well out of this at all. someone should have snuck a mic onto him while he got back into his car.
What a delightful kid, welcome home Jess.
I watched the ONE broadcast and stayed with the jess faithful rather than 7 & 9 who jumped on the bandwagon.
did 7 have a 7 exclusive sign in the top left hand corner like they always do when they snag some elses footage
I’m thinking of catching the Manly ferry next week. Wonder which network I can sell the rights to. Half price if KRudd doesn’t show up.
I also want to to know why and how 7&9 were able to use the ‘exclusive’ ONE coverage, doesn’t that defeat the point of exclusive coverage deals?
Dan I agree with the Heroes thing, it’s used too much. Jessica is an inspiration to all, no matter if she technically didn’t break any records.
Congrats Jessica, you have silenced all your critics! So lucky she didn’t fall in the water when she tried to get off the boat. That was close!
Let the recognition for the achievement of being the youngest person to sail around the world (unassisted) come her way she deserves it!
As for coverage I’m glad they stopped talking about how late the arrival would be. And how about those questions Sandra Sully was asking like as if talking to a 5 or 6 year old.
Generally the coverage was very comprehensive from the networks and very worthy to stick around for the one off event.
“It was like Sydney to Hobart in reverse”, times that by how many!
All credit to Jessica for her acheivement – all the plaudits are well deserved. Today showing the three mainstream media channels how cringeworthy thier coverage of events can be. All they seemed to do is keep trying to outdo each other and get as many reporters on the TV. 10’s coverage was good (as expected) – the fact the other stations kept using thier footage showed there was only one channel really covering it. Even if 9 for example had permission to use 10’s feed, they really should have acknowledged it (e.g. thanks to onehd for that interview). When the arrival was delayed, it really exposed them for the lack of material and preperation.
Wish people like Dan and Jason would cut the Rudd snipe and go read a dictionary meaning of the word Hero.According to the Oxford Dictionary Hero means ‘A person who is admired for their courage or outstanding achievements.Jessica may be to modest to like that tag placed on her but I would hope that most people would think it appropriate.
Without multichannels it would have been a complete debarcle… Even 7 went to 7two (with the V8’s on the main channel)… but please Samantha Armatige… “She is working some winch or something”… Umm yes.. It’s called a sail…
Congratulations Jessica!!!
You had a dream & you followed it!!!
cant wait for the “Border Security: Jessica Watson Customs Special”
What was the delay? Was Kruddy somewhere else?
lol, you’ved called her ‘Sanda Sully’. I prefer “Sandra Sultry” myself.
Good on her, such and awesome achievement and she deserves all the credit she’s so far recieved!
good on ya Jessica i am also glad that she disagreed with the PM about being a hero the real heros are people like police fireies and ambos etc i think that the word hero is used far to much theese days
Interesting times we are in now when a major channel can just ship its special off to one of its multichannels and keep broadcasting as scheduled. 2 years ago they’d have to make the choice of which one to air. Just lucky she didn’t arrive home while MasterChef was on! I know which Ten would have shown. LOL
I found it amusing watching 9 and 7 virtually re-broadcasting the OneHD stream.
I’m glad she disagreed with being labeled a hero, & was humbled by the turnout. It was cringeworthy to hear Rudd calling her a hero. Jessica achieved something many people couldn’t do & has shown remarkable courage, but for someone who chose by their own discretion to circumnavigate the world to be called a hero is a bit ridiculous. It’s really a term for those who sacrifice their lives, save others or are involved in helping humanity, i.e., medical staff.
Also, it was good to see multi-channeling being used to supplement the main channel.
How were the other channels able to use the One footage? Surely they wouldn’t have gotten their permission?
All credit to the girl herself, but oooh the media coverage was horrendous ! I didn’t even realise that Sandra Sully was still on the telly.