A 14-year old girl from the Netherlands will set sail on a round-the-world record bid as she embarks on the trip solo.

Laura Dekker, who came out victorious during a legal battle to sail earlier this year, embarked around 09:00 GMT with her 11.5m boat named Guppy. According to the girl’s manager, she left in high spirits with calm conditions, but did not wish to speak to the media.

If successful, Ms Dekker will become the youngest solo around-the-world sailor. The move was allowed by Dutch social services after Ms Dekker won a court case back in April granting her permission to sail alone. However, social services had argued that the allowance could put her at risk of emotional and social developmental issues later in life.

The teenager will be on board the boat for several months alone. Media gathered in Portugal to send her off after reports alleged she would sail from Portimao. However, there was no sign of the teenager at her scheduled departure time. Her manager, Peter Klarenbeek, later told the press that she had departed at 09:00 from the British enclave of Gibraltar.

Ms Dekker will make over 20 stops across her route and was granted over two years to complete the trip in order to break the current record. If she returns prior to her 17^th birthday in September 2012, she will become the youngest solo sailor to travel around-the-world.

Ms Dekker, herself was born a yacht during her parents’ own seven-year round-the-world trip and has grown up an avid sailor, spending the majority of her life around boats with her father. According to the teen’s lawyer, Ms Dekker was well prepared and had been trained in first aid and sleep management techniques.