Mom of Dutch Sailor, 14: OK, She Can Go

The mother of a 14-year-old Dutch girl who wants to sail solo around the world has given up her opposition to her daughter's planned trip. Laura Dekker's dream of becoming the youngest person to sail alone around the globe has been thwarted by a Dutch court that last year made her a ward of the state amid concerns over her physical ability and her social development if she is isolated and out of school for months.

Dekker's mother, Babs Mueller, wrote in an open letter published in today's edition of the Algemeen Dagblad newspaper that she no longer opposes the voyage. Mueller says "I know she can do it." Dekker is due in court Tuesday for a hearing on whether she should remain a ward of the state. Mueller is separated from Dekker's father. (More Laura Dekker custody stories.)