A 16-year-old Australian yachtsman set sail from Sydney on Sunday in a controversial bid to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world.

Jessica Watson's planned eight-month voyage has been widely criticised after her yacht collided with a ship on a trial run. Queensland's state government publicly requested she abandon the project. Experienced sailors have also criticised the plan.

Despite this, family and other well-wishers turned up to cheer her at the harbourside in Sydney today as she set sail at around 9.30 a.m. (2230 GMT yesterday) in her yacht Ella's Pink Lady.

A number of boats turned out to see her off in fine weather. Government patrol boats escorted her out of the harbour.

A spokesman indicated before her departure that Watson was upbeat about the voyage and believed she had learned lessons from last month's collision.

Her voyage follows a decision by a Dutch court in August to put another teenager, aged 13, temporarily under state supervision to prevent her embarking on a similar solo attempt.

In late August, 17-year-old Briton Mike Perham set a record as the youngest person to sail solo around the globe after he spent nine months at sea.