Baby joy for Aussie sailing prodigy Jessica Watson with new beau after tragedy struck her former relationship

Australian sailor Jessica Watson has revealed she is expecting a baby with her new partner five years after the death of her previous partner Cameron Dale.

Watson – known for her groundbreaking solo yacht voyage around the globe when she was aged just 16 – took to Instagram to make the happy announcement on Sunday night.

‘We’re very excited to be expecting a little crew member at the end of the year,’ Watson wrote alongside a picture of her on deck holding her bulging belly.

‘Grateful, and acutely aware of how important it is to celebrate such a wondrous thing.’

A second picture included on the post showed the 33-year-old smiling with new partner Dave, understood to be fellow sailor Dave Moen.

The post was met with dozens of comments from well-wishers.

‘Bubs is so lucky to have you legends,’ one friend wrote.

‘This is fantastic news! Congrats Jess!’ Fox Sports journalist Sam Squiers said.

The sentiment was echoed by Australian race car driver Molly Taylor, along with model Lisa Seiffert and singer-songwriter Ren Barlow.

Watson suffered heartbreak in 2021 when her then-partner of 10 years, Dale, suffered a stroke and died at just 29 years old.

He had been living with undiagnosed high blood pressure, with Watson later publicly urging young people to get checked.

The pair had met during the 2011 campaign for the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, and they began dating shortly afterwards.

After keeping their relationship quiet at first, Jessica confirmed she was in the relationship in August 2012.

The pair struck up a friendship through their shared love of sailing, spending many of their weekends out on the water together.

‘It’s a nice thing for us to share and to have in common,’ she told Mamamia of sailing with Cameron back in November 2019.

Originally from Queensland, Watson lived with Dale in Melbourne, stating in 2018 she had no plans to marry the property developer.

‘Watching my lovely sister get married was more than enough for me just now,’ she said at the time.

The intensely private couple also enjoyed a trip to New York City in March 2019, with Jessica sharing photos from their holiday together on Instagram.

‘Who knew @cameron.dale1 is annoyingly good at #iceskating,’ she captioned a smiling snapshot of them ice skating in Central Park.

Jessica had also announced Cameron’s tragic death in an emotionally charged post on Instagram.

‘On Monday, 30 August 2021 we lost our Cam – my long-term partner in every aspect of life and planned future,’ she began.

‘Cam passed away peacefully nearly six weeks after a catastrophic stroke. We’ll be forever grateful for the dedicated care he received at the Gold Coast University Hospital.

‘Cam and I have been inseparable since 2011, our shared world centred on messing about on boats.

‘Describing what Cam means to me is impossible – everyone who knows us understands how much we simply loved each other.’

She went on to make a touching tribute to the man she said had shaped her into the person she became.

‘Even while experiencing indescribable grief, I feel so grateful for the family, friends, and communities Cam has given me and the person I’ve become with him,’ she wrote.

‘I take enormous strength from having been so devotedly loved. The years of treasured memories offer enormous comfort.’