Dutch 14-year-old to set out next week for round-the-world solo sailing attempt

Youngest solo round-the-world sailing set to begin

AMSTERDAM — Laura Dekker, the 14-year-old Dutch girl who hopes to become the youngest sailor to circle the globe alone, says she is leaving the Netherlands Wednesday.

But it’s not yet the first leg of her solo voyage. She says she will sail with her father to Portugal, from where she will begin her round-the-world venture later.

Laura won a prolonged battle last Tuesday when a court released her from the guardianship of Dutch child protection agencies, which had blocked her earlier attempts. The authorities said being alone and absent from school for so long would be harmful for her education and psychological development.

Laura wrote on her blog Saturday she will does not know when she will set sail from Portugal.

But she posted a picture of the schoolbooks she is taking.