NZ sailor says Watson will be challenged

A New Zealand sailor, who limped into Hobart with a broken mast after 10 weeks at
sea, has warned of the loneliness Queensland teenager Jessica Watson faces on her
record solo sailing attempt.
Phillip Zwies, 27, from Invercargill on the southern tip of New Zealand, was sailing
solo from Capetown, South Africa to home when a freak wave snapped his mast just two
weeks into a 10-week journey.
"There was still about eight metres left of the mast so I made up a jury rig," Mr
Zwies told AAP on Saturday.
"It took about two weeks longer than expected to get this far, but I still had
plenty of food and water so I didn't need to stop anywhere sooner.
"Hobart's just around the corner from home, so I stopped here to get it fixed."
Mr Zwies departed New Zealand on his 9.75m (32ft) yacht, 20 months ago en route to
South America before sailing to South Africa and then home.
He said he heard of Jessica Watson's non-stop attempt to sail solo around the world
when he landed in Hobart and said she faced a major psychological challenge.
"That's going to take her 10 months or something and that's a lot of time to be on
your own," he told AAP.
"Her biggest problem will be the psychology of being on your own for that long."
Mr Zwies said he expects to leave Hobart in a week.