She has had to wait a whole year, but 14-year old Laura Dekker has finally set off to realise her dream of becoming the youngest person to sail around the world single handed.

The first stage, from Den Osse in the south of the Netherlands to Portugal, is not part of that voyage. She is still accompanied by her father, carrying out final tests of her boat Guppy before she attempts the solo Atlantic crossing.

That crossing will be in two stages since she will wait in the Canary Islands until the hurricane season has passed, probably until December.

'It's been worth the wait', she told RNW during an impromptu press conference on the Den Osse pier. 'But I'm really looking forward to it. I know I can do this, I've been wanting to do this since I was eight'. Asked who she would miss the most, she mentioned Spot, her dog. 'And my family, of course'.

Last week a Dutch court finally gave the Dutch teenager the green light for her marathon voyage. The judge released her from supervision by the Child Welfare Agency, allowing her parents to make the decision.

She was just 13 when she announced her plan, causing some consternation in the Netherlands. Many people thought he was too young and it was irresponsible to allow her to make the world record attempt. The courts agreed and parental authority was transferred to Child Welfare for one year.

The judge decided not to extend this period since Laura's parents, who are divorced, are now both in favour of the voyage. Previously, her mother had reservations.

The record for the youngest solo round-the-world yacht trip is held by Australian Jessica Watson who was 16 when she completed the voyage. Laura Dekker will be 15 in September.

Listen to a Newsline report by Johan van Slooten from Den Osse: