Girl's solo world sail is backed by mother

THE mother of a 14-year-old Dutch girl who wants to sail solo around the world said in an open letter she has given up her opposition to her daughter's trip.

Laura Dekker's dream of becoming the youngest person to sail solo around the globe has been thwarted by a Dutch court that last year made her a ward of the state amid concerns over her physical ability and her social development if she was left alone on a boat without schooling for months on end.

But her mother, Babs Mueller, wrote in an open letter published in the Algemeen Dagblad newspaper that she no longer opposes the epic voyage.

"I know she can do it, she's a strong girl who does not give up easily," Mueller wrote. "Of course, no mother on Earth likes it if her daughter goes to sea alone. I will have sleepless nights from the worry, but this is about Laura and how I can help her."

Last year, Mueller told another Dutch paper, De Volkskrant, that she opposed her daughter's trip.

Laura is due in court on Tuesday for a hearing on whether she should remain a ward of state.

Her mother also wrote that she has lost faith in child care agencies monitoring Laura. "Laura isn't a criminal, she just wants to sail," she wrote.

The dangers Dekker faces were highlighted last month when a 16-year-old California girl, Abby Sunderland, ran into trouble on a solo attempt after waves snapped her mast in the Indian Ocean, prompting a 20-hour rescue mission.