Laura Dekker Sets Sail

Fourteen-year-old Laura Dekker quietly slipped out of an undisclosed Portugal port today, beginning her controversial quest to become the youngest person to sail around the globe. The Dutch teen began her journey, expected to take at least a year, on a nearly windless day, notes the AP. "She said goodbye to her father and friends and she sailed away into the horizon," MasMedia, which has exclusive TV rights, said in a statement.

Media crews from around the world had descended on Portimao, where Laura was supposed to sail from. But the girl departed from elsewhere, leaving photogs with no images. MasMedia, which has remote cameras mounted on Laura's yacht to document her journey, graciously offered to sell images starting tomorrow. (More Laura Dekker stories.)