The Sydney Morning Herald said in this context: "...(and without wanting to detract from her incredible achievement), it is fair to say Watson was by no means solo or unassisted in her voyage around the world; a team of advisors and experts meticulously guided her through that process.
[6] The dangers of unassisted sailing have been reduced in recent years by the widespread use of EPIRBs that allow the sailor to summon help even when far from land.
They have been credited by sailors as being "vital for sailing boats" and "without question" have saved lives.
This respect usually extends to single-handed sailors such as Francis Chichester and Joshua Slocum who completed round-the-world voyages with far less assistance and considerably more risk than today's record holders, but which are regarded under current rules as "assisted" because of port stops during the voyage.
Jessica Watson became the youngest person, at age 16, to sail unassisted around the world on 22 May 2010.