http://yachte.com/news/story.asp?story=29084
So near to home and yet so far....
A tear in her main sail has slowed teenage adventure sailor Jessica Watson as she heads to Sydney Harbour to finish her round-the-world voyage.
The Queenslander had been due to sail through the Sydney Heads at around 11.30am (AEST), but now wasn't expected to enter Sydney Harbour until closer to 12.30pm.
The 16-year-old, who has spent seven months alone at sea aboard her pink yacht, is preparing for a hero's welcome in Sydney on Saturday morning.
She is due to pass through Sydney Heads about 11.30am (AEST) and dock around 12.30pm at Sydney Opera House, where she will be met by her parents and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
Tens of thousands of fans are expected to converge on the foreshore for the event, with many already starting to gather hours ahead of her scheduled homecoming.
Watson's heroes and fellow round-the-world sailors, Perth's Jesse Martin and Britain's Mike Perham, will board her boat after she crosses the finish line.
The pair will take over the helm, allowing her to relax and enjoy the celebrations after enduring a 23,000 nautical mile (about 38,000km) odyssey.
As Watson covers her final stretch along the NSW coast, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) forecasts winds up to 45 knots (83km/h) and waves up to seven metres offshore.
Water police have warned of dangerous conditions, urging boaters planning to catch a glimpse of the celebrations from the harbour to ensure they have sufficient safety equipment aboard their vessels.
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