14 Year Old Crosses Atlantic during school time

[LordOfLife]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/ herts/6226775.stm

Thoughts?

Imagine if he had died at sea, no doubt the family would have sued the school for allowing his son time off, there would be uproar in the House Of Commons, politicians gaining points off one another. But hey, he has a world record the yanks don't have. Hurrah!

This rubbish that this boy was allowed to take time off school for education purposes is laughable.

My nephew now has a cast iron reason to go to Egypt for 8 weeks during term time. Yeh he is training to become the first skydiver off a pyramid.

[WaldoMcFroog]

I've nothing but admiration for the lad for an amazing achievement. Unlike many of the reasons given for taking children out of school, I think this was a legitimate one and the chap will undoubtedly prosper as a result of the experience.

I don't think you need worry that the family would ever have sued the school either. Don't be such a humbug!

[LordOfLife]

Humbug doesn't come into it. 14 year old boys should be at school. Not roaming shopping centres, not riding their bikes in the park and certainly not taking valuable school time out for galivanting across the Atlantic in a boat.

Well done to him for achieving the record, but he should be in school.

''Dear Teacher Little Johnny won't be in 2day cos he is swimin the atlantic. And if any of his m8's say he is dossing down the Mall they are lying, innit''

[Philtaz]

I hardly think sailing across the Atlantic single handed could be termed 'galivanting'!!

What a remarkable achievement at such an age, in the greatest maritime traditions by people from these Isles. He's been sailing since the age of 6 so it's hardly something he's done on a whim. How many other 14 year olds would have the strength of character, courage and fortitude to match this lad?

These days it seems the only other way to get a trip across the Atlantic is to start a criminal career at an early age, be placed in youth custody then be sent to the Bahamas to swim with dolphins at the tax payers expense in order to 'reform ones character'. Give the lad a bit of credit.

[Loosehead]

You plonker! He would have got more education sailing the Atlantic single handed than in a normal lifetime. Amazing acheivement, it just goes to show that not all teenagers are among the chav sub human slime.

It makes my blood boil that you cannot partition this in your mind and hence have to slag it off.

The human race needs people like this, it it where left to people like you we'd still be trying to figure out how to start a fire.

There are legit reasons to take time off school and this is one of them and your nephew doesn't need 8 weeks practice on an actual pyramid!

[WaldoMcFroog]

So, let me get this right... He wasn't actually sailing across the Atlantic (and doing homework during the journey too) like the press have said, he was down the local shopping centre skivving?

Are you sure?

[IggyB]

he only missed 3 weeks of school by doing the crossing during the xmas holidays...
i say well done the lad - i couldn't have done it when i was that age...oh what am i talking about - i couldn't even dream of being able to do it now!

well done that man - wish there were more like him

[Booldawg]

haha, yes, he couldve spent the 6 weeks at school learning loads of usual things like the socio-economics of Sao Paolo, about 'other religions' and the agricultural revolution.

[jake-the-peg]

I think that if you really believe that if he'd had an accident the family could have sued the school then you're delusional.

However it does raise a serious question.

We have a legal framework that decides that a child of 14 is not sufficiently mature to make serious decisions on whether or not they can smoke, drink or have sex or even watch certain films.

Yet in this case he was allowed to make apparently much more critical decisions over his own safety.

I think the school time issue is a red herring the real point is whether at the age of 14 someone should be allowed to risk their own lives for a place in the Guiness book of records

[laurence2]

in regards to the safe aspect of the crossing, his Dad was following close by in another vessel, they abided by all the safety precautions that were available in this case.so the sue aspect would'nt of happened if their would of been an incident

Well done to the lad, i wish other 14 year olds took a leaf out of his book, a tremendous achievement if you ask me,

[wizard69]

Lordof life...what a muppet you are...
My own 10 yr old son hasnt been to school for 3 years.He's educated at home and I have this "he should be at school" cr@p all the time. The fact is, at 10 yrs old my son, goes absailing,mountain climbing,camping,cycling,skating and a host of other activities while his mates are stuck in front of a computer at school eating junk and getting fat.
This young lad is learning more about himself and his capabilities than any school curriculum could ever show him.Then again you sound as though you have never had any ambition other than to follow the heard.

[gerkin]

It is a piece of **** crossing the Atlantic single handed these days with GPS, video links, sophisticated auto pilots incredibly strong boats. Try it the old school way using the stars and a rickety wooden tub !!

[noxlumos]

My children are home educated too, all of them, and as such they are provided with a curriculem equal to their age and ability but there are no fixed hours as wizard says to comply with. We do not observe usual school hours or holiday patterns in anyway, because we don't legally have to, so get off your high horse and congratulate the lad. He has everything to be proud of and you're a mean spirited so and so with no appreciation of the really important things in life. Some people have a different take on the importance of school and actively work to make sure their children are educated in other ways so that the pitfalls of school can be avoided altogether.

[Gromit]

Well, if it keeps him from hanging around outside the offie and collecting an ASBO, it is alright with me.

[smiffy65]

while I agree that it is a great acheivement for a 14 year old boy to sail the atlantic solo,and he should be so proud of himself, but just think for one minute what if he did have an accident or died as a result, His mother and father would have been called the most irresponsible parents for letting a 14 year old boy do this, and they would probably have been charged with something or other and that is FACT

[joko]

rules rules rules!!
how sad that your life must revolve around rules fixed by someone else.

mustn't deviate from the life plan someone else has mapped out for you, must you? Can't see beyond what the government say is correct?

i'll bet you line up your pens and rulers and papers etc with the edge of your desk, don't you?


3 weeks of same old, same old school work or one amazing, life changing challenge?....Mmmm, its a toughy...

[kwicky]

Maybe the reason was to sell more boats. I believe his father is a boat-builder, what better publicity. Does he intend to sail the boat back himself or more lost time from school?

[nantyboy]

I've no admiration for this boy, he's very lucky he has the money to play about in boats, no doubt many others could do it too if the finances were available to them. Did'nt his father folow him 1 mile behind all the way, hardly though he was a long way from anyone is it?

[Philtaz]

You can't admire a 'boy' for doing something that would fill most people with awe, trepdation and fear, eh nantyboy?

So his Dad was a mile behind? Wouldn't have helped either of them very much had they been in the teeth of a force 10 would it? Death doesn't respect money or creed.

So the lads Dad has got a bob or two. Not many 14 year olds choose to take on such an endeavour knowing that a fortune awaits them. Many in his position wouldn't dream of undertaking such a feat at that age.

If my son committed himself to such an endeavour at such a tender age I'd be full of admiration at his determination and character.

Sounds like you're jealous of a kid who through no fault of his has got some wealthy parents but has got the cojones to cross the Atlantic single handedly in his teens.

Sad that a boy can be villified in such a manner for such an achievement when so many of today's youth see it as far more manly to be given an ASBO.

[joko]

so just because he is lucky enough to have the financial backing to do this, he is unworthy of being patted on the back and being told well done, nanty boy?

perhaps we should get a 14 year old boy - no... make it a 10 year old...from a council estate, lob him over the side in a bucket of crabs, blindfold, and then forget about him, until he arrives ashore somewhere ...because god forbid anyone should take any safety measures for a child, eh?
perhaps then he will have been brave enough to deserve congrats, huh?

you have a real chip on your shoulder about people with more money than you don't you?