Zac Sunderland
| Zac Sunderland | |
|---|---|
Zac Sunderland (right) with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in August 2009
|
|
| Born |
Zachary Tristan Sunderland November 29, 1991 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Residence | Thousand Oaks, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Trinity Pacific Christian School |
| Occupation | Former sailor |
| Known for | Held the record as the youngest person to sail solo around the world (with stops and assistance); first person under the age of 18 to complete a solo circumnavigation |
| Television | The Amazing Race 19 (6th place) |
| Parent(s) | Laurence Sunderland Marianne Sunderland |
| Website | Official website |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States
|
|
| Name: | Intrepid |
| Operator: | Unknown |
| Status: | In port |
| General characteristics | |
Zachary Tristan "Zac" Sunderland (born November 29, 1991) is an American former sailor who was the first person under the age of 18 to sail solo around the world. Sunderland completed his trip after 13 months and 2 days at sea on July 16, 2009 at age 17. The record was previously held by Australian David Dicks, and was surpassed on August 27, 2009 by Michael Perham of England. Sunderland is the youngest American to complete a circumnavigation, surpassing Brian Caldwell, who finished in 1996 at age 20. However, Sunderland's record was not recognized by Guinness World Records, or by the World Sailing Speed Record Council.
In 2010, one of Sunderland's younger sisters, Abby Sunderland, attempted the feat. She was forced to call off her attempt after her boat was damaged in a storm in the Indian Ocean.
In 2011, Sunderland and his father Laurence participated in the 19th season of The Amazing Race. They ended up in 6th place out of 11 teams and were the sixth team eliminated in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The oldest of Marianne and Laurence Sunderland's eight children, Sunderland's first home was a 17-metre (56 ft) Tradewind sailboat. His family sailed in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Mexico. His shipwright father bought a 51 feet (16 m) Aleutian and the family made a three-year cruise of California's Channel Islands, Baja California and mainland Mexico.
When Sunderland decided to attempt the circumnavigation, he purchased a 36-foot (11 m) Islander for $6,000, using all of his savings. With his father's assistance, he retrofitted the boat for the trip. Sunderland planned to complete his voyage in April 2009 with a maximum time of 18 months. He continued his schooling while sailing, saying, "I have all my books with me. I have one more year to finish at high school and I have to send back my tests (via e-mail) to my mom. She's going to grade them and make sure I am doing well."
...
Wikipedia