When Jessica Watson sails into Sydney Harbour after her round-the-world sea voyage this month, she won't be breaking any world records.
The World Speed Sailing Racing Council (WSSRC), the international sailing body which monitors around the world sailing record attempts, no longer assesses claims for the youngest sailor to circumnavigate the globe.
Some sailing experts also claim Watson has not sailed far enough to meet the criteria required for an around the world voyage.
Watson's representative today denied ever claiming she was on track to break the WSSRC record set by Jesse Martin in 1999.
On Melbourne's 3AW radio, spokesman Andrew Fraser admitted the teen could not break Jesse Martin's world record because she is ineligible.
"Technically no [it's not a record], and we've stated that from the start because the WSSRC don't recognise records for under 18s," Mr Fraser said.
"So technically, Jesse Martin's record will never be beaten.
"There's has been no [misleading] from us ... everything's been on the website from day one."
According to the website Sail World, Watson will fall 2000 nautical miles short of her goal because she did not sail far enough north of the equator.
"When Jessica Watson sails into Sydney Harbour next weekend, she will have survived a bruising voyage with bravery and skill, and be on her way to fame and fortune, but she will not have taken Jesse Martin’s non-stop unassisted round-world record from him," an article on the website said.
Rob Kothe, the Sailing World editor said on Nine News this morning that "questions had been asked what record she was going for."
He said that sailing experts had long known that the route in question would not qualify as a full circumnavigation.
But Mr Fraser rubbished Kothe's claim that Watson didn't venture far enough above the equator to reach the required 21,600 nautical miles for an official Southern Hemisphere circumnavigation.
He said the journey's key requirements — starting and returning from the same port, crossing all lines of longitude, crossing the equator and rounding the southern landmarks of South America and South Africa — will all been satisfied.
"She's ticked all those boxes," he said.
"There's some dispute of the nautical miles [but] she would have done 23,000 by the time she gets back.
"She has sailed the most treacherous oceans of the world, passing the four capes (Cape Horn, Cape Agulhas, Cape Leeuwin) and crossed the equator twice."
Jesse Martin would be at the finish line to greet her, Mr Fraser said.
Mr Fraser denied they ever used the words "world record."
But on the 'Meet Jessica Watson' website, which is linked to from Ms Watson's official page, uses those exact words.
"Be part of history as we welcome Jessica home and celebrate her world record achievement - Youngest Ever, Solo Around the World Sailing Voyage," it says.
Ms Watson's website also appears to suggest the same.
"Inspired in her turn by Kay Cottee, the first woman to sail solo non-stop unassisted around the world and by Jesse Martin, the youngest person to do so, Jessica Watson has set her sights on beating Jesse’s record," it reads in the "About Jessica" section.
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