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Welcome Back, Zac | NBC Los Angeles
Welcome Back, Zac
Teen completes solo voyage around world
By CALVIN MILAM
Updated 2:25 PM PDT, Thu, Jul 16, 2009
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Zac Sunderland sails off the coast of Marina del Rey in Los Angeles. The Southern California teenager became the youngest person ever to sail solo around the world when he arrived at Marina del Rey.
As the fog lifted Thursday morning off Harbor Mouth at Marina del Rey, it revealed a sailboat piloted by a 17-year-old boy from Thousand Oaks who had just become the youngest to sail around the world alone.
"It's Been a Crazy 13 Months"
Watch VideoZac Sunderland, 17, makes his first speech since becoming the youngest to sail around the world alone.
Q&A With Zac Sunderland
Watch VideoZac Sunderland answers questions after returning from his historic journey.
Teen Sailor Returns After Roundtrip Record
View SlideshowZac Sunderland, a 17-year-old sailor, is the youngest person to sail around the world alone.
"It's awesome to be back," were the first words spoken by Zac Sunderland, who had endured storms, suspected pirates and months of solitude, when he reached land.
Sunderland, who was welcomed home by a flotilla of supporters, said he plans to write a book about his experience.
At age 16, he left Marina del Rey June 14, 2008, aboard his 36-foot boat, Intrepid, and headed west.
He turned 17 Nov. 29 while off Africa's Cape of Good Hope.
After a 36-hour stay in San Diego to clear customs and undergo repairs, he set out on the last leg of his odyssey Wednesday and arrived at Fisherman's Village in his home port at 10 a.m.
"It's been a crazy 13 months and ... yeah, it's awesome to finally get back here," he said. "I just want to thank all my supporters out there, the 'Zac Pack' for keeping up with my journey on the website, and everyone else who offered advice and, you know, you guys helped me along the way and that was a pretty big part of that out there."
Zac said he hopes his voyage will help send a message that teens and young adults are capable of great things.
"As far as you know inspiring people, the main thing today would be that ... society puts younger people like 15 through 18 in kind of a box, that no one's really expected to do much," he said. "You know, they kind of just tend to go to high school and play football and that's pretty much it, you know? There's so much more potential that people can do with the right motivation and the right ambition in life so, you know, my thing would just be to get out there and do hard things. Go for it."
Fewer than 250 people have sailed solo around the world, while nearly three times as many reached the top of Mount Everest, according to the association. Zac said Everest may be his next challenge.
Charlie Nobles, executive director of the American Sailing Association, said Zac's around-the-world voyage was an amazing feat.
"The patience, knowledge and fortitude required for such a journey is immeasurable," he said. "And, it's beyond unusual to find those qualities in someone Zac's age. This is an age group we associate with all things instantaneous -- texting, tweeting at a mile per second."
Over the past 13 months and roughly 28,000 nautical miles, he dodged gigantic freighters, languished in doldrums, limped into distant ports with equipment failures and braved all manner of high-sea anxiety.
Only once did his father, Laurence -- his chief booster and sponsor -- instruct him by satellite telephone to load his gun as suspected pirates shadowed him off Indonesia in October.
"I had this boat following me all over the place and circling and stuff, and ended up calling the Australian coast watch," he said. "And they flew over and they (the other boat) took off, so luckily nothing happened there."
Once Zac entered Mexican waters, he dumped the gun. Privately owned firearms on boats are illegal in Mexico and, had he be caught with one, authorities could have seized his boat -- a 36-foot Islander that he bought with $6,000 of his own savings.
In an interview Sunday, Laurence Sunderland, a British-born sailor and shipwright whose maritime business is based in Thousand Oaks, told City News Service that he couldn't be prouder.
"It's hugely exciting. Any father would be proud," he said. "He's left a boy and come back a man. It's been a huge inspiration for many people, young and old. I think Zac would agree with me that he would like this to serve as an example for young people to continue doing great things."
The oldest of seven children, Zac was partly raised on a boat and came to his love of sailing through his parents. He was also in part inspired by Robin Lee Graham's 1974 book "Dove." Graham left Los Angeles on a 24-foot boat when he was 15 and circled the globe, though not alone.
Australian David Dicks had been the world record holder. Dicks, who sailed in February 1996 at the age of 17 from Fremantle, Western Australia, and is credited with finishing the circumnavigation in nine months, finished his voyage in 1996, aged 18 years and 41 days.
Sunderland crossed the Pacific to his first port of call, the Marshall Islands, then headed west to Papua, New Guinea, then Australia, the Indian Ocean, Mauritius and Madagascar, rounding the Cape of Good Hope, sailing across the Atlantic and finally, transiting the Panama Canal back to the Pacific.
The previously home-schooled senior, who began his journey with more than 15,000 hours of sailing experience, studied on board to finish his high school education during the voyage.
To be the new record-holder for youngest solo circumnavigator, all he had to do was make it into Marina del Rey before January.
But British sailor Mike Perham, also 17, is now in the Panama Canal headed east for his home in a similar globe-rounding record attempt, though in a state-of-the-art boat designed for open-ocean racing.
Perham, who has had his share of breakdowns, expects to make landfall in Britain this fall.
But no matter, according to Zac's father, who said his boy will be better remembered for having been the first to achieve the feat at the tender age of 17.
Welcome Back, Zac
Teen completes solo voyage around world
By CALVIN MILAM
Updated 2:25 PM PDT, Thu, Jul 16, 2009
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Zac Sunderland sails off the coast of Marina del Rey in Los Angeles. The Southern California teenager became the youngest person ever to sail solo around the world when he arrived at Marina del Rey.
As the fog lifted Thursday morning off Harbor Mouth at Marina del Rey, it revealed a sailboat piloted by a 17-year-old boy from Thousand Oaks who had just become the youngest to sail around the world alone.
"It's Been a Crazy 13 Months"
Watch VideoZac Sunderland, 17, makes his first speech since becoming the youngest to sail around the world alone.
Q&A With Zac Sunderland
Watch VideoZac Sunderland answers questions after returning from his historic journey.
Teen Sailor Returns After Roundtrip Record
View SlideshowZac Sunderland, a 17-year-old sailor, is the youngest person to sail around the world alone.
"It's awesome to be back," were the first words spoken by Zac Sunderland, who had endured storms, suspected pirates and months of solitude, when he reached land.
Sunderland, who was welcomed home by a flotilla of supporters, said he plans to write a book about his experience.
At age 16, he left Marina del Rey June 14, 2008, aboard his 36-foot boat, Intrepid, and headed west.
He turned 17 Nov. 29 while off Africa's Cape of Good Hope.
After a 36-hour stay in San Diego to clear customs and undergo repairs, he set out on the last leg of his odyssey Wednesday and arrived at Fisherman's Village in his home port at 10 a.m.
"It's been a crazy 13 months and ... yeah, it's awesome to finally get back here," he said. "I just want to thank all my supporters out there, the 'Zac Pack' for keeping up with my journey on the website, and everyone else who offered advice and, you know, you guys helped me along the way and that was a pretty big part of that out there."
Zac said he hopes his voyage will help send a message that teens and young adults are capable of great things.
"As far as you know inspiring people, the main thing today would be that ... society puts younger people like 15 through 18 in kind of a box, that no one's really expected to do much," he said. "You know, they kind of just tend to go to high school and play football and that's pretty much it, you know? There's so much more potential that people can do with the right motivation and the right ambition in life so, you know, my thing would just be to get out there and do hard things. Go for it."
Fewer than 250 people have sailed solo around the world, while nearly three times as many reached the top of Mount Everest, according to the association. Zac said Everest may be his next challenge.
Charlie Nobles, executive director of the American Sailing Association, said Zac's around-the-world voyage was an amazing feat.
"The patience, knowledge and fortitude required for such a journey is immeasurable," he said. "And, it's beyond unusual to find those qualities in someone Zac's age. This is an age group we associate with all things instantaneous -- texting, tweeting at a mile per second."
Over the past 13 months and roughly 28,000 nautical miles, he dodged gigantic freighters, languished in doldrums, limped into distant ports with equipment failures and braved all manner of high-sea anxiety.
Only once did his father, Laurence -- his chief booster and sponsor -- instruct him by satellite telephone to load his gun as suspected pirates shadowed him off Indonesia in October.
"I had this boat following me all over the place and circling and stuff, and ended up calling the Australian coast watch," he said. "And they flew over and they (the other boat) took off, so luckily nothing happened there."
Once Zac entered Mexican waters, he dumped the gun. Privately owned firearms on boats are illegal in Mexico and, had he be caught with one, authorities could have seized his boat -- a 36-foot Islander that he bought with $6,000 of his own savings.
In an interview Sunday, Laurence Sunderland, a British-born sailor and shipwright whose maritime business is based in Thousand Oaks, told City News Service that he couldn't be prouder.
"It's hugely exciting. Any father would be proud," he said. "He's left a boy and come back a man. It's been a huge inspiration for many people, young and old. I think Zac would agree with me that he would like this to serve as an example for young people to continue doing great things."
The oldest of seven children, Zac was partly raised on a boat and came to his love of sailing through his parents. He was also in part inspired by Robin Lee Graham's 1974 book "Dove." Graham left Los Angeles on a 24-foot boat when he was 15 and circled the globe, though not alone.
Australian David Dicks had been the world record holder. Dicks, who sailed in February 1996 at the age of 17 from Fremantle, Western Australia, and is credited with finishing the circumnavigation in nine months, finished his voyage in 1996, aged 18 years and 41 days.
Sunderland crossed the Pacific to his first port of call, the Marshall Islands, then headed west to Papua, New Guinea, then Australia, the Indian Ocean, Mauritius and Madagascar, rounding the Cape of Good Hope, sailing across the Atlantic and finally, transiting the Panama Canal back to the Pacific.
The previously home-schooled senior, who began his journey with more than 15,000 hours of sailing experience, studied on board to finish his high school education during the voyage.
To be the new record-holder for youngest solo circumnavigator, all he had to do was make it into Marina del Rey before January.
But British sailor Mike Perham, also 17, is now in the Panama Canal headed east for his home in a similar globe-rounding record attempt, though in a state-of-the-art boat designed for open-ocean racing.
Perham, who has had his share of breakdowns, expects to make landfall in Britain this fall.
But no matter, according to Zac's father, who said his boy will be better remembered for having been the first to achieve the feat at the tender age of 17.
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