Photo: © 2010 AFP/AAP/TORSTEN BLACKWOOD

Watson's 210 day round-the-world sailing adventure, which wrapped up on Saturday, has captivated the country.

Well-wishers took to the water in force to welcome her through the Heads, in scenes reminiscent of the opening of the Sydney-Hobart yacht race.

But while Watson has decided to keep her birthday celebrations private, she is not retiring from the public eye.

There is a film and book about her amazing journey in the wings, and she is also looking to crack the American market, where the likes of talk-show host Jay Leno are lining up to speak with her.

And an article in this week's New Idea has put her love life under the microscope, hinting at chemistry between her and Mike Perham, the 18-year-old Brit who completed his own solo sailing circumnavigation last year.

"When I first met Jess, there was something between us I can't describe," he told the magazine.

"We have this special bond but when it comes to romance, I think we are going to take one day at a time."

Her manager, Andrew Fraser, has poured cold water on any romantic connection.

"They have a connection like adventurers do with each other - they talk and get advice from one another, that's all," he told the Herald Sun.