In this file photo dated Wednesday, August 4, 2010 Laura Dekker hoists a flag of The Sea Shepherd
Conservation Society on her boat in the harbor of Den Osse, southwest Netherlands. The 14-year-old Dutch girl will try to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world when she sets off from Portugal on Saturday August 21, 2010. Laura Dekker's ambition of completing the yearlong trip has fueled a global debate over the wisdom of allowing young sailors to take on the tremendous risks of sailing the high seas alone. (AP Photo)
In this file photo dated Wednesday, August 4, 2010 Laura Dekker hoists a flag of The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society on her boat in the harbor of Den Osse, southwest Netherlands. The 14-year-old Dutch girl will try to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world when she sets off from Portugal on Saturday August 21, 2010. Laura Dekker's ambition of completing the yearlong trip has fueled a global debate over the wisdom of allowing young sailors to take on the tremendous risks of sailing the high seas alone. (AP Photo)
Laura Dekker waves to the media as she stands on her boat in Den Osse, southwest Netherlands. (AP Photo)
Dekker steers her boat, with her father, Dick Dekker, at left, as they depart the harbor of Den Osse, south west Netherlands on Wednesday, August 4, 2010. 14-year-old Laura Dekker, who hopes to become the youngest person to sail around the world by herself, and her father Dick Dekker have departed the harbor of Den Osse in her 38-foot (11.5-meter) yacht Guppy, bound for Portugal where she hopes to begin her solo attempt later this year. (AP Photo)
Laura Dekker's ambition of completing the yearlong trip has fueled a global debate over the wisdom of allowing young sailors to take on the tremendous risks of sailing the high seas alone. (AP Photo)
The girl who grew up on a sailboat faces a host of challenges — including favorable winds to send her across the Atlantic Ocean from her jumping off point in a marina in the resort city of Portimao at the southwestern tip of Portugal. (AP Photo)
A court last month released Laura from the guardianship of Dutch child protection agencies who had tried to block her voyage because of fears about her safety and psychological health. (AP Photo)
