A couple opinions:

Some sixteen year olds are plenty mature enough to sail around the world solo. Plenty of more experienced sailors than Abby have ended up capsized/demasted/dead in the southern ocean, and for that matter, in Long Island Sound, a relative joke compared to the southern seas.

Furthermore, in the circles I sail in people often say you haven't sailed much until you've dropped at least one rig! So cheers to Abby. That said, she should have rescue insurance to compensate the Australian gov't, the French fishing vessel, etc.