Teenage sailor Abby Sunderland is rescued by French fishermen

Teen sailor Abby Sunderland, whose round-the-world sailing effort nearly ended in disaster after she was stranded in the Indian Ocean, has been rescued.

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Abby Sunderland, 16, looks out from her sailboat, Wild Eyes Photo: AP

The 16-year-old Californian was picked by a French fishing vessel in waters some 2,000 miles from the west Ausralian coast, said her father Laurence Sunderland on Saturday morning.

"She got out of her vessel with the clothes on her back, and we are just really excited and ecstatic that Abigail is in safe hands," he said. "She was in good spirits ... She talked to her mother."

Abby had been stranded in heavy seas since Thursday, when she set off a distress signal after her craft's mast collapsed, knocking out her satellite communications.

French authorities said that at one point during the rescue, the fishing vessel's captain fell into the ocean. He was fished out "in difficult conditions" but is now in good health, said a statement from the French territory of Reunion Island.

While news that Abby is safe will come as a huge relief to friends and family, sailing experts have claimed that she should not have been in the dangerous southern seas at all.

Many criticised her parents for allowing her to sail off alone in a small boat, knowing it would be tossed about for 30 or more hours at a time by the giant waves that rake the southern hemisphere's oceans this time of year.

Her parents have dismissed the criticisms as symptomatic of modern, risk-averse society, saying a teenager could just as easily die while driving a car.

Outside the family home on Saturday, news crews gathered to hear word of the rescue from the family, which had been receiving updates by telephone from Australian rescue officials. Eight pink balloons were tethered to the white picket fence in front of the single-story house and beneath them was placed a large, hand-painted sign that read: "Thank God Abby's alive."

Mr Sunderland said his daughter's boat would now most likely be sunk because of the difficulty towing it a great distance. He estimated it would be 10 days before she reaches land, but added that he was "just ecstatic that she is alive and well and survived the ordeal."

Abby had set out from Los Angeles County's Marina del Rey on January 23, trying to become the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe solo without stopping.

Zac Sunderland, her brother, held the record for a little more than a month last year until Briton Mike Perham completed his own journey. The record changed hands again last month, when 16-year-old Australian Jessica Watson completed her own around-the-world voyage.

Soon after starting her trip, Sunderland ran into equipment problems and had to stop for repairs. She gave up the goal of setting the non-stop record in April, but continued regardless, hoping to complete the round-the-world journey.