Should a 13-year-old be allowed to sail around the world alone?

Normally I wouldn't think so, but according to her father, this Laura Dekker character can strip an engine while blindfolded. As we all know, that is the only prerequisite to sailing around the world. Despite this, magical Dutch judges have decided that she is unfit to travel around the world alone on a sailboat.

But wait, the story gets slightly interesting! A day before these Dutch judges made their decision, 17-year-old British kid Mike Perham became the youngest person to sail around the world. Let's say you're Mike Perham. You're a 17-year-old kid and for whatever reason, you decided to sail around the world, presumably for the thrill, the acheivement, the notoriety... Then this little bitch shows up out nowhere to completely overshadow you in every single facet of sailing achievement possible. Would you take that sitting down? Of course his family bribed some Dutch judges to keep this girl off the water.

Yeah, the sailing record is rigged! I said it! It's wrong, but let's hope it's the right decision even though we'll never really know. The only way to know is to let her go and have something terrible happen, but no one wants that! The good thing is, she's got a few years left. She can wait til she's 16 and more prepared for her transworld sailing responsibilities. In the meantime, another very mature 13-year-old might get the green light to break Perham's record, but that's when you have to stop and ask yourself, "Is what I'm doing here really worth the effort at all?"

One last thought, if you don't want children sailing across the world... STOP KEEPING A WORLD'S YOUNGEST SAILOR RECORD! You morons are inviting your own recreational problems!

-Binkie McFartnuggets