Zac's Blog

Photos from Aboard Wild Eyes

2009-11-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

Was having trouble with uploading blogs and photos. All seems sorted now. Here are a few shots from the trip. We should be pulling out today. Fort Lauderdale late tomorrow afternoon all being well.
Cheers,
Zac

Fort Pierce

2009-11-08T19:08:00.000-08:00

So after 6 hrs of flying we landed in Rhode Island it was about 30 degrees when we got out of the airport at around 1am and found our way to rent a car. After a few wrong turns we got to the hotel, woke up the owner, got a room and crashed..

By the time we got to the yard the next day, Wild Eyes was already in the water. I spent the day working on the boat, wiring up alternators, tightening hose clamps, and loading up all the sails that were in a sail loft 4 stories up while my dad and Abby went all over the place looking for various bits and pieces. The cold is so bitter in Rhode Island you've really gotta keep moving to keep from freezing.

After finishing up the jobs on the boat I was checking out the yard. It was a really huge place with some amazing boats like a 100+ft racing cat and a couple 12 meter America's Cup boats. In my wanderings I met a Norwegian guy named Trond. He was first mate on a boat that had just sailed down from Iceland. There is some crazy sailing up there and we ended up crashing on his boat for a couple of nights while we waited for our weather window to open up.

Anyway, we also met some people from a mega yacht called is Ilsandia. We had dinner over on their boat and discussed weather, route and how to best dodge the Gulf Stream current. Over the next couple days we worked on the boat and got used to the cold weather.

On Halloween we went to a party at a local restaurant with our friends from Islandia. The next morning, we were on the boat before the sun came up and left the dock around 7am. We sailed out under full sail past the machines on the shore. Wild Eyes is extremely light and we put the first reef in before we hit open water. After a little struggle with the auto pilot we were off heading toward our first way point at 10knots.

The wind died a little during the day but filled in in the evening and by morning we were doing 15s in the pouring rain, freezing and wet, but tons of fun surfing down 10 foot waves. The weather stayed the same for the next 2 days - rainy and fast hitting a max speed of 24knots and regular 20s. It was smooth sailing till Cape Hatteras where we slammed head on in to the Gulf Stream and halved our boat speed.

My dad and I decided to head in shore and hopefully pickup the counter current. This worked a bit - no counter current but we got to a weaker part of the north bound Gulf Stream. The moon has been almost full and it is awesome to have the extra light when the sky is clear.

So we have had pretty smooth sailing till yesterday when the wind shifted on to the forward quarter and we started bashing into 20 knots. Heavy wind on the nose is hell on a racing sled meant for surfing down waves so after 8hrs of getting the hell kicked out of us my dad asked me to find a port to go into for the night. After looking through some detailed charts I found a bay called Fort Pierce so we changed course and sped along the 35 miles surfing down waves with the boat speed up in the teens. We got to the entrance just after the sun set. After a little engine trouble we managed to find the nav lights, headed in and found the public dock. We moored up to the pier for the night.

Have been doing a lot of work on the boat right now. Mike Smith, who helped with the electrical systems on Intrepid, came down from North Carolina and has been going over the electronic systems on Wild Eyes.

We are looking to head out of here as soon as the wind direction changes. Could be as late as Tuesday morning from today's forecast.

Well I've got to get back to it here. I'll let ya know when we get in to Fort Lauderdale. Till then, fair winds everybody.

Cheers,
Zac

Surfing the Atlantic

2009-11-05T07:50:00.000-08:00

I spoke with Zac yesterday. He had managed to get his sat phone antenna to work and was able to get a call out - though a rough one. The crew were enjoying Wild Eyes' speeds and were a few hundred miles out of Fort Lauderdale. Zac was enjoying being back at sea and was pretty excited to have made, at one point, 24 knots surfing down a wave.

For photos and more news see Abby's blog at www.abbysunderland.com.

A DVD status update was sent out to all of those who prepurchased a DVD. If you did not recieve this email please email Marianne@zacsunderland.com. Please include your order number with your request.
Cheers,
Marianne

Heading Back to Sea

2009-10-29T08:32:00.000-07:00

As I'm writing this I'm on an airplane on the way to Rhode Island. My sister, Abby, has bought her boat - a Class 40 fast, racy thing and we are going to be sailing it the 1000nm down the coast to Florida so it can be shipped to Cali. It's gonna be freezing out there so I've got the full foul weather gear packed. David Morris, the trusted meteorologist that routed me safely around the world, said that we're gonna get slammed on Saturday by a fast moving front but it will be good for Abby to see some weather in this boat so were planing on pushing through it.

In other news, Abby and I opened up the newly remodeled Westfield Mall in Culver City last week and I also received the Champion Award from the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research at their LA Cancer Challenge 5k and 10k run. Thanks to everyone who supported me with that. We raised almost $1000 for the cause. Before the run my dad offered 100 dollars for whoever could beat him in the race so race I did - just beating my dad in the last 100yards making a fast hundy and realising how out of shape was as far as running goes! I altered my workouts to focus more on cardio. Well the plane is about to land and I'm gonna be out at sea for the next 6 to 10 days so Happy Halloween everyone.

Peace,

Zac

Life on Land

2009-10-24T16:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the lack of blogging lately. Not a whole lot going on that compares to sailing alone around the world. Here is what has been going on for the last couple weeks....

I went to New York two weeks ago to speak at the Adventures in Travel Expo. It was a great time meeting and listening to other adventurers. It looks like I will be speaking at another of their Expos in Chicago on January 9-10th. More updates when it gets closer.

While I was in NYC I met with the guy who has been helping me write my book, Rob Buchanan. He is a great guy and we have been going over the trip and putting together what will be a great look at the trip from my perspective with a little from the family as well.

The night before I left to come back home I went to a New York party with my literary agent, David Kuhn, and met and hung out with Madonna and her crew for a while. Pretty amazing!

Back in Cali, I'm getting back in shape doing some intense training to get ready for whatever the next adventure might be. A personal goal of mine is to go for Everest but I am also looking into something new that hasn't been done yet. I have been invited to come to the Los Angeles Adventurers Club so am hoping to meet some of the amazing people there.

I've been meetimg with a lot of production teams out here looking into any television possibilities. I have had some criticism for earning money from adventuring. I don't see the problem earning money doing what I love if it is at all possible. As I have always said, I am not opposed to going to college for a purpose - not for the sake of going. Lot of people take a gap year and that is my plan. I have been hitting the books here finishing up my last few requirements for high school graduation.

Today, my sister, Abby, and I appeared at a mall in Culver City at their grand reopening. Tomorrow, my family and I will be at the LA Cancer Challenge on the VA Grounds in West LA doing a fundraiser for the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research. My grandfather, who was a fit and active guy, died 3 years ago totally unexpectedly from Pancreatic Cancer. There is no known cure for it at this point. Feel free to come on out and support the cause if you are in the LA area.

Regarding the documentary DVD...we will be sending out an update to everyone who pre-purchased the DVD informing you all of what has been going on and our different options at this point. If you don't receive an email by Wednesday of next week, please contact us at marianne@zacsunderland.com.

Sorry once again for the lack of blogging. I'll be updating this once a week from now on for sure so be sure to check back.

Cheers,
Zac

Adventures in Travel Expo - New York

2009-10-10T08:43:00.000-07:00

I arrived in NYC late Thursday night and have gotten settled here for a busy weekend. Early Friday were some PR interviews for the Expo with another young adventurer, Trip Jennings. I had a free day in the city before hooking up with the guy who is helping me write my book. We had a great (long) meeting and it was off to bed early as my early morning interviews came extra early here on the East Coast.

Today, I am off to the Expo (at the Javits Convention Center) to listen to other speakers and meet some of the amazing people there. I'll be meeting with Rob again tomorrow before speaking at 1:30 and then heading over to JFK for a long flight home.

If you are in the area, come by tomorrow at 1:30. I'll be talking about my trip with a slide show of photos. Should be good times.

Peace,
Zac

More News

2009-10-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

Hello Again!
I was reminded that I forgot to mention a few things in my last blog.

Check out this link to a recent ESPN TV piece:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/otl/index

Check out Abby's new website:

http://abbysunderland.com/

DVD UPDATE:

We appreciate your patience and frustration regarding the DVD. We have been dealing with some unforeseen setbacks that have been very disappointing to us as well. We are doing everything we can to resolve things and hope to have a definitive statement to make by next week. We will honor all presales. Thank you again for your patience.

Finally, I just want to clarify that I am not an adventurer for fame or money as some may think. I am first and foremost an adventurer. If I can make a living doing what I love, I don't see a problem with that.

Thanks for reading the blog! More updates soon!

Cheers,
Zac

News

2009-09-29T14:45:00.000-07:00

Sorry for not blogging in a while but it has been pretty busy over here. In the past 2 weeks I've been perfecting a speech and have quite a few speaking engagements lined up this month and next. My mom and I flew to Amarillo, Texas last weekend to speak at the San Jacinto Christian School. I spoke to the Junior High and High School students and walked through the elementary school to answer questions for the kids there who had been following my trip. In the evening my mom and I both spoke at a fundraiser for the school. I had never been to Texas before so it was an experience for sure. After that, I flew to San Francisco to shoot a Discovery Channel commercial. It should be out in November.

Also I had a meeting with my unscripted television agent Evan over at WME and he is trying to find me someone to film my next adventure. As far as the next adventure goes I've got it down to two ideas that I'm pursuing right now:

(1) An expedition up Mount Everest. I'm putting together a team and pursuing a possible sponsorship on it as well as planning some training hikes for this fall.

(2) A dirt biking trip down through South America as far south as possible.

Looks like I'm gonna have a pretty busy October.

I will be speaking at the Adventures in Travel Expo in New York City on October 11th at 1:30. Check out their web site at http://www.adventureexpo.com/. I'll be speaking about my trip and have a slide show of photos. That weekend I will be meeting with a few literary people as well. The book is in the works and I will let you all know when it is due to come out.

I am going to be sailing and speaking at The Frank Guernsey Single-handed Challenge Race at the Redondo Beach Yacht Club on October 17th.

I'm also really excited to be participating in the Hirshberg Foundation LA Cancer Challenge on October 25th at the Veteran's Administration Grounds in West LA. I chose to be a part of the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research because my grandfather died 3 years ago from Pancreatic Cancer. Did you know that approximately 42,500 Americans will be diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer in 2009 and over 35,000 people will die from the disease. It has the #1 fatality rate of all cancers. 75% of Pancreatic Cancer patients die within the first 12 months of diagnosis. It is one of the few cancers for which survival has not improved substantially over the past 30 years. So you can see that we need to get some funding for these guys to get the research done to find a cure.

If you are interested in coming out for the morning, want to donate through Team Zac or just want more info: go to http://www.lacancerchallenge.com/. To donate, click on the Sponsor Participant link, enter my name Zac Sunderland, and follow the direction on the screen.

I've got to run. You can follow me on Twitter and Facebook for more frequent updates.

Peace,

Zac

9/11

2009-09-10T17:44:00.000-07:00

A Saturday sail in Santa Monica Bay

With September, my life has tried to become normal with my final highschool classes starting but it is becoming clear that it will not be normal for a while. I am shooting all day today and tomorrow for a CBS Sports program called Courage in Sports. Tonight I will be heading over to the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley for the Freedom Walk in the Reagan Courtyard.

There is a 30/40 minute program with amazing speakers as well as an F-18 flyover and then everyone (usually a few thousand people) walk down the driveway and to a local park in memory of the 9/11 tragedy.

Then about 60 or 70 of us go to the VIP Dinner right under Air Force One.

One of the keynotes is JR Martinez - who is 26 and was severely burned by a landmine in Iraq. JR has had 32 surgeries, is a motivational speaker and is one of the most extraordinary people on the planet.

I am really looking forward to going tonight. Lots going on here...keep checking back for more updates and developments.

Cheers,

Zac

Photos and Thank Yous

2009-09-06T14:30:00.000-07:00

We have had a whirlwind of a time since Zac returned home. Today Zac is out sailing Intrepid with Uncle Phil and cousin Kathy from the UK. Abby is out on an advanced sailing lesson getting tips and a real feel for the Open-style boats. She and Laurence are honing in their sites on a boat and there will be some news this week.

As I was going through Zac's blog today, I noticed that I never put up Jen Edney's return photos. There are some really good ones. So, sorry to Jen (who is sailing somewhere between Panama and Australia at the moment) and also to all of you who had been asking about her.

It has also come to my attention that there have been people who donated money to Zac's campaign that never received a Thank You. This is unthinkable in the sense that we are so grateful for the amazing support of so many people. If you are a financial supporter of Zac's campaign and you were not thanked, we apologize. If your name is not on the Supporters page, please let me know at marianne@zacsunderland.com and I will get it up there ASAP.

We have had some technical difficulties in the final stage of the production of Zac's documentary DVD. Unfortunately, it will be another month before it will be in the hands of all of you who pre-ordered your copies. Again, if this is a problem for anyone, please direct your concerns to me at marianne@zacsunderland.com.

Zac's life has changed from myriads of interviews to meetings, appearances and speaking engagements. In the next weeks we will be updating Zac's web site slightly to have his public appearance and speaking schedule as well as a few other changes. He is working on his book and working with a creative team of writers and producers on a screenplay for a motion picture of his story. All very new but also very exciting.

Enjoy the photos!

Marianne

Long time, no see

Intrepid and Zac on the last mile

Lydia (5) takes it all in...

At the podium: Zac, Laurence, Toby, Lydia, Mom, Grandma, Jessie, Abby (holding Katherine)

Brother Toby at Fiserman's Village

Congratulations Mike!

2009-08-27T19:08:00.001-07:00

I haven't had time for much sightseeing since touching down in New York this time. I have been in meetings since I arrived. It's all good as I am navigating my way through a major change in my life since returning from my solo sail around the world.

I hear that congratulations are in order for fellow solo sailor, Mike Perham. Good on ya Mike and all the best for you and your family upon your return. I know how you feel not wanting the trip to end but end it must. There are so many opportunities that will open up for you now. Who knows, if we could meet by chance in Cape Town while traveling opposite directions and virtually completely different courses, perhaps we will meet again. All the best and heartfelt congratulations.

Meanwhile, Abby and Dad are in Newport, Rhode Island checking out a possible boat for her trip. I won't ruin her news so that is all I'll say for now.

One more meeting tomorrow and then I'm back to Cali. Looking forward to getting back and getting to work on some school, speaking engagements and, yes, more meetings!

Cheers,

Zac

Beautiful Virginia Beach

2009-08-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

I did my packing at about 1:00 this morning and then woke up at 4:45 to catch a 7:00am flight. Just made it and after 6 hrs in the smallest possible seat made for humans I'm in Virginia Beach. It is really a beautiful place. Flying in I saw all the rivers around here - definitely thinking about sailing them some time.

I've got a gnarly headache from all the plane air or something. Have to get some sleep I'm going to be on the 700 Club at 9am. Not sure if its live... and 9am east coast time is 6am in California.

Yeah for early mornings.:(

Peace,
Zac

Jennifer Diamond Foundation Regatta

2009-08-23T12:51:00.000-07:00

Sorry of the lack of blog going on but it has been really busy over here. On Saturday, I raced in the Jennifer Diamond Cancer Foundation Regatta, a race to raise money for their organization. Their mission is to empower people with knowledge as they fight cancer or help someone they know who has cancer. The Jennifer Diamond Cancer research library is open to all; it contains state of the art Apple computers, monitors, a printer/copier, and a variety of books, as well as information on CD-ROM and video. The foundation also supports cancer research.

http://www.jenniferdiamondfoundation.org/home/

I raced on a Catalina 42 and we had really light wind for most of the race. We spent most of the race running under the kite trying to keep it filled. I got on the helm for two of the runs and the finishing limp over the mark so it was a good day overall. We went back to the Del Rey Yacht Club for some dinner and the awards ceremony. Harvey and Alice Diamond presented me with the 'Triumph' Award and a really cool trophy with a perfect likeness of Intrepid engraved on it topped with a crystal globe with my route etched on it. It was the most amazing award I have ever received.

Today I got picked up in a limo and brought to Duarte, a town on Route 66 for some PR for the annual Route 66 Parade. I'm going to be the Grand Marshal of their parade on September 19th. I did some photos and interviews for their press and now I'm packing for an early morning flight to Virginia Beach to do an interview with the 700 Club. Then I am on to NY again to work/meet with my literary agent, have a meeting with MTV and also with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Photo copyright Walt Mancini

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_13194855

It should be another busy rest of the week. Well, I haven't packed yet and I have to be up at 4:45am tomorrow so I'd better get to it.

Peace,

Zac

With Harvey Diamond

Two Cities, Two Governors

2009-08-17T22:46:00.000-07:00

On 5th Avenue

We touched down at JFK Airport in New York late on Friday afternoon and got to our hotel, in the Times Square area, a few hours later. We ordered the most expensive cheeseburgers and cokes ever from room service and hit the streets to explore.

At FAO Schwartz

Saturday morning my mom dragged me down 5th Avenue to go to FAO Schwartz to buy my little sister a birthday present. We met up with Mike Huckabee (the Governor) and his staff over at the Fox studios. Lets just say that my mom was happier than I was about the hair and makeup job! The interview was short and sweet. Mike Huckabee is a great guy - super laid back for someone as powerful as he is. Afterwards, we went upstairs to meet Geraldo Rivera, who was working in his office. He is a big time sailor and we talked about my trip and other boating/adventuring stuff.

Me, Mom and Mike Huckabee

So after the Huckabee Show, my mom grabbed a cab to the Metroplitan Museum of Art and I met a friend from Mauritius and ran around Central Park and China Town. We weren't due to fly out until Sunday late so my mom and I had another day to explore NY - and that we did.

Central Park

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

We saw the big green lady, Canal Street - the main road of NY's China Town. I got this gangster hat, as my mom calls it, and my mom got a watch. We also became masters of subway travel. It's really amazing how fast you can get around, actually faster than driving with all the traffic lights.

The flight back was long - 6 1/2 hours during which the plane went through a lightning storm. We landed, safe and tired at 12am and I went down to the marina and spent the night as I had to get up at 5 to grab a shower and catch a town car to the airport for a flight to Sacramento to meet the Governator. Well, I set the alarm and went to sleep. I woke up at 6 to my cell phone ringing. I answered it and my dad told me that the car was waiting for me.

I jumped out of bed, grabbed my collared shirt and my gangster hat to cover up my messy hair and ran up to the parking lot - pulling on my shirt while running. I got to the airport and the car driver relieved me of my last 40 dollars! Thankfully, I managed to get to the flight on time and had a short flight.

When I made it to Sacramento I met up with a couple of the governor's assistants and we went over to the airport and chilled with some of Arnold's bodyguards while we waited for his jet to pull in. It finally did and he came out toking a cigar - classic Schwarzenegger!

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

We rode in a motorcade all the way to the capitol building. We talked about my trip and he was a really cool guy. We made it to the Capitol building and he presented me with a plaque and jacket and I gave a speech to his office staff.

One of Schwarzenegger's assistants, Ben, took me around the Capitol for a tour and well let's just say I no longer need to take California History. But ya, had an awesome time and caught an hour flight back to Cali and now I think I'm gonna get some sleep....

Goodnight everyone!

New York City

2009-08-14T21:50:00.000-07:00

Spent most of today flying to New York, driving to hotel and looking for food! Have been exploring and seeing the sites here in the Times Square area. My mom and I will be interviewing with Mike Huckabee tomorrow afternoon. The show will air at 5:00 & 11:00pm Pacific Time on Saturday and again on Sunday at 5:00, 8:00 & 11:00pm.
Photos and more to follow...
Cheers,
Zac

Meeting Jesse Martin

2009-08-11T21:35:00.000-07:00

Meeting Jesse Martin aboard Intrepid

Alright, so the last couple days have been pretty packed. I woke up Monday morning to, "You have five minutes to get in the car. We're late!" On the way in to the marina I was told that my interviews that I was supposed to have at the house had been switched to the be at the boat because Jesse Martin, the Ozzy guy who holds the record for the youngest, non-stop and unassisted solo circumnavigation. He set the record in 2001 in his 34 ft Sparkman Stevens Lioheart, a boat similar to Intrepid.

After a couple interviews, Jesse came down to the marina with the ESPN crew. Jesse and I went down to Intrepid and I showed him around. We shared stories of the sea and things about the long ocean crossings alone. After an hour or so Jesse had to be off. It was awesome to finally meet Jesse, one of my inspirations for going on my trip.

Other than that, I'm going to New York this Saturday to be on the Mike Huckabee Show.
Keeping busy, for sure!

Cheers,
Zac

Summer Days

2009-08-05T08:29:00.000-07:00

The last couple days have been typical Thousand Oaks summer days: chilling with friends, doing whatever to get some adrenaline pumping, but also planning the next adventure. There are tons of ideas going around but haven't decided on one for sure yet though. I've been pulling all my junk off Intrepid and she has gone up about 3'' in the water.

My room in Thousand Oaks now has the smell of a mildewy boat and I've been spending my spare time sorting through swollen books and all the stuff I've picked up in the last 13 months.

I've been meeting with a lot of people in the movie biz that wanna make a movie out of my trip which has been interesting. Another thing I am excited about is doing some speaking engagements. I have been putting down my thoughts on what led to my trip and how I dealt with some of the hardships, etc. I hope to be able to encourage other people with what I have been able to do. It should be interesting.

But other then that a lot of my friends go off to college in a couple of weeks so getting some good times in before they're gone for a year. As for me, I have a few more requirements to finish high school before I can think of my college plans.
Cheers,
Zac

The Latest

2009-08-01T10:37:00.000-07:00

Heading back to Intrepid this morning to catch up on some maintenance. It is so familiar on Intrepid - she still feels like home to me. Every time I go down there, it seems to smell stronger of diesel and boat smell. Funny thing is every time Dad goes down there he says it is smelling better!

Our meetings with William Morris Endeavor are going really well. It is good to have some quality people behind me at this stage in the game for sure. I have been busy with meetings and interviews and working on some soul searching for the book.

Someone asked if I had heard from some of the veteran solo sailors: Robin Graham, Tania Aibi etc...I have heard from both of them and from Mike Perham, Jessica Watson and Jesse Martin's mom. They are a great group of people. It is awesome to part of this group of amazing people.

My brother and sister are sailing to raise money for the Westlake Nautical Foundation that supports youth sailing on our area. I will attempt to attach a flyer with info. You should be able to click on the flyer to enlarge it.

If you are interested in supporting Toby & Jessie contact my mom at marianne@zacsunderland.com and she will get you the info.

All for now, gotta get back to work here.

Cheers,
Zac

Uncharted Waters

2009-07-29T19:32:00.000-07:00

I've been going through Intrepid and emptying out all of my stuff. It is strange pouring through all of my things from the past year.

We had an interesting meeting at WME (William Morris Endeavor) talent agency. I met a bunch of their agents who should be great helping me decide what I should do next and possibly with getting someone to pick up my next adventure as a TV show. It is new territory for sure and we are navigating slowly with much guidance.

On the way back from our meeting we stopped at UCLA Medical Center to visit Mary Ellen, the rigger who helped me out a bunch getting the rig ready to sail around the world. A few weeks before I got back, she fell 45ft from a mast and broke her back, all of her ribs and much of her face. She has actually been able to walk some with assistance but will be recovering for a long, long time.

I've been doing tons of interviews all day. They get really old saying the same thing over and over again. A friend of mine just got back from China so I'm gonna go chill with him tonight and get ready for another busy day tomorrow.

Peace,
Zac

On the Water Again

2009-07-26T22:13:00.000-07:00

Racing C-18s on the lake in Westlake

Another busy day today with a welcome home cake at church and then I went racing at the Westlake Yacht Club. It was actually my first time racing on fresh water but there's a first time for everything. The wind was pretty light for the first two races but built as the afternoon went on and we had an awesome last race.

My younger brother Toby, entered the race as the only sabot contender and came in first! This was pretty impressive as he has only sailed sabots for two weeks at sail camp which ended last week. He was out there dodging all the older kids in their lasers but did really well.

Geraldo at Large got canceled again but will reschedule.....there were a couple news cams and a photographer from the local paper watching me race this afternoon.

Anyway, thanks for the intersting ideas for more adventures. Please don't get too serious on me - I've only been back a week. Still if any one has any ideas for a good adventure for me to do next, let me know.
Cheers,
Zac

Toby's first race

Toby (with trophy), Carol Amenta (head of junior sailing program) and sister Jessie

Doing Hard Things

2009-07-25T18:52:00.000-07:00

Alex, Me, Brett, Aly and Abby at the Do Hard Things Conference

Great day today with Alex and Brett Harris and family at the Do Hard Things conference. A lot of young people were fired up not to be limited by other peoples' low expectations. Check out their web site at http://www.therebelution.com/

Thanks for all of the great ideas for my next adventure. I have a lot to do before a venture out again so don't worry about me jumping into something too quickly.

One thing that I am happy to be a part of is an auction to raise money for the Surfrider Foundation. They are an organization that is dedicated to preserving the oceans of the world. The following link will take you to the Ebay auction. Basically, we are auctioning off a 1 on 1 conversation with yours truly and all of the funds go directly to the Surfrider Foundation.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=270427845421#ht_2276wt_1060

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: What is included in the auction?
A: The high bidder will enjoy a 1-on-1 video conference conversation with Zac Sunderland, the date and time of which to be determined after the auction closes.

Q: Who can bid on this auction?
A: This auction is open to anyone 18 or over. Do NOT bid if you are not over 18 years of age and able to enter into a legal contract.

Q: Where does the money go?
A: All of the proceeds goes directly to the Surfrider Foundation, a 501(c)3 charity.

Q: Is my winning bid tax deductible?
A: We are not able to provide tax advice, so you should contact a professional tax advisor about this.

Q: Do I need to travel to the session?
A: No, the conversation is conducted over the Internet, so you can participate from your home, office, or anywhere that has a broadband Internet connection.

Q: How long will this conversation last?
A: Approximately 30 minutes.

Q: What do I need to participate in this live conversation?
A: You'll need either a Mac or PC, a broadband Internet connection, a web cam, speakers and a microphone. If you don't have all of these, Humanety can suggest some products that are readily available over the Internet or in local computer stores. A Humanety representative will contact you to test the connection in advance of the conversation.

Q: Can I get a recording of the conversation?
A: The entire conversation will be recorded and available for a limited time via the Humanety web site. The winning bidder must agree to allow Humanety to use their name, voice and likeness in the replay of this recording without compensation. Also, the winning bidder agrees to not make their own recording of the conversation and will not attempt to rebroadcast or syndicate the session in any way.

Q: How many people can participate in the conversation?
A: Due to the limited range of most web cams, it is best to limit the in-room audience to 1 or 2 people. However, your friends and relatives are encouraged to watch the replay of the conversation on the Humanety web site.

Q: Can I ask Zac questions?
A: Absolutely! We want this experience to be just like you were meeting Zac in person. As such, we expect the winner to conduct themselves in a polite and friendly manner and we reserve the right to terminate the conversation without notice if the auction winner is rude or abusive.

Q: Can I suggest ideas to Zac?
A: Again, this experience should be just like you were talking with Zac in person, perhaps at a party or some other public, social occasion. Please be aware that just like saying something in public, your words are not private at all. Also, Zac is not under any obligation to use, or not use, any idea or concept you present, and you completely forfeit any rights you may have to any intellectual property you choose to share as part of the conversation. So, do not mention any thoughts or ideas unless you want to completely and forever give them away.

Q: Will I need to sign anything?
A: The winning bidder must sign a release that, among other things, allows Humanety to share the recording of them on the Internet.

Q: How do I pay for the auction?
A: We accept Cashier's Checks or PayPal eChecks. MissionFish guarantees the payment of the winning bid to the charity. Please visit www.missionfish.org for more details.

My spot on Geraldo at Large was postponed until Sunday evening at 10pm. I'm hanging out with Will tonight and racing at the Westlake Yacht Club tomorrow afternoon. Enjoying what is left of the summer for sure!

Cheers,
Zac

Busy, Busy, Busy

2009-07-24T21:58:00.000-07:00

The last couple days have been pretty crazy over here. I have been doing tons of interviews - Jimmy Kimmel, all the news and a bunch of morning show stations, ESPN's Jim Rome is Burning, and a follow up story for ESPN: the magazine (with Chris Jones - due out next Friday), oh and Mark and Brian radio show and tons more. I've also been chilling with my friends and cleaning up Intrepid. I still haven't finished doing my laundry!

I have been talking to MTV about possibilities of them doing a series on my next adventure which has been very cool. By the way, if anyone has any good ideas for my next adventure, either comment on the blog here or email it to me at zacsworldadventure@yahoo.com.

Tonight, the Westlake Yacht Club hosted a 'welcome home' party that was a blast. A lot of people showed up just to say 'hey' and welcome me back.

My family and I are going to the Do Hard Things conference tomorrow in Costa Mesa which should be great and then on to the Giraldo at Large show tomorrow night.

Lots happening here. I'll try to keep ya all up to date with whats going on over here.

Peace,
Zac

A Note From Mom

2009-07-22T22:03:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
Mom here for an update from the home front. Please forgive the lack of blog posts of late. It has been an interesting time for sure and we are all adjusting to A LOT of changes.

First off, last Thursday was an incredible day. We had been busy for months preparing for Zac's return and, like a kid on Christmas Eve, I could hardly wait nor believe that the day had finally arrived. We set off for the marina early and dropped by the Fisherman's Village to check on the set up. Richard Meyers was hanging signs, Christian Pinkston, Gary Calaroso and Michael Broggie were checking in the press and all the other millions of details surrounding an event like this. The place was abuzz with press crews and people showing up early to welcome Zac home.

We had to run over to the Del Rey Yacht Club who graciously offered the use of over 20 boats for our friends, family, sponsors etc to go out and see Zac coming in. We met there and found our ride and set off with our immediate family, Jen and her family, Lisa Gizara and fiance Eric, Pete and Al from the LA Times and the film crew. We actually had a surprise guest, Ron Kilgore from KNX 1070 radio who were just awesome that day broadcasting live throughout the day.

It was grey and overcast which was strange but at least the seas were calm. Yes, I get seasick! We set out and headed off in the direction we thought he would be coming from. After a few minutes we were able to make out a herd of boats in the distance. As we made our way I realized that the herd was surrounding Zac and following him in. That really got me chocked up to think that all of those people would take their boats out to see my son.

We made our way closer, being careful not to get in Zac's path or in anyone else's path. There were a few near misses that morning! We finally got close enough to see Intrepid and Zac at the tiller. It is hard to explain how it felt to actually see him again in person and not in a photograph as I had done for so many months. I waved and shouted and he saw us and smiled and waved. All of the kids were so excited! It was the successful completion of a journey for our whole family. I am only now just beginning to realize the effects of that on our lives.

We followed Zac for a good while watching as people shouted, blew air horns and even played trumpets. A boat load of his friends veared close and shouted and screamed. It was an incredible time and my most favorite of the day.

Wanting to be able to be there to meet Zac at the dock, we had to pull ourselves away and head back to Fisherman's Village. We got parked and waited while Zac slowly made his way in. It was pretty busy but Zac managed to weave his way in with the help of Boat US Towing that stood by to fend off if necessary.

Zac got in to his slip and after literally fighting off a news person who didn't care that he was interrupting our special moment, got to give my boy a big squeeze. Zac was ecstatic and beaming from ear to ear. Just awesome!

You have all heard the press conference (if you haven't - go to the media page and watch all of the great videos) so I won't go into detail there. It was a fabulous day.

Zac came out to dinner with us and then home and out with friends for a few hours. We were up again the following morning to do a few morning shows down in the marina.

As the days have worn on I have been able to hang out with Zac and enjoy just having him around. One of my favorite memories of Zac is when he gets out of bed in the morning and shuffles out of his room. I just stood there on his first morning home staring at him. Very silly perhaps but if you are a mom you will understand!

Zac has been pretty busy with interviews, renewing friendships and working on the details of his trip - bething Intrepid, unpacking, writing his book etc. I have noticed some changes in Zac. He is the same easy going, funny guy but all the more gracious and kind. He is not one to philosophise about things, at least not out loud, but the wheels are turning up there and he is full of life and passion and plans for his future. It has been an immeasurable pleasure to watch him.

We plan to continue the blog and are hoping to have a more regular routine soon. We are so thankful to so many people who have come together from day one to make this happen. We are thankful for your support and encouragement.

Laurence and I have spent the past few days in the studio at Praxis Universal working on the final edits of part one of Zac's documentary. This experience is so deep on so many levels. We are working hard to convey that to you all and from what we have seen, know that you will really love it.

Cheers,

Marianne
aka Zac's mom

PS A special note to the folks at Mike Perham and Jessica Watson's camps. The level of sportsmanship among the 3 of you young people is an inspiration all of its own. It has made this experience all the more meaningful to have like-minded people who really understand what this is like and how and why it is done.

Zac News

2009-07-20T21:49:00.000-07:00

It has been a pretty crazy time since I’ve been back with tons of press and interviews keeping me really busy. It has been great to sleep in my bed, hang with my family and also been having an awesome time seeing my old friends.

The night before I got back, I stopped in Emerald Bay. I had lived there for two summers before our family cruise to Mexico and had stopped there before heading over to Hawaii last summer. I met up with Harbor Steve, the same harbor patrolman that worked there when I was a kid. I arrived in the early afternoon and after I pulled up a mooring next to Steve’s boat, I got some sleep. I had been up the whole night before sailing through the shipping lanes on my way up the coast from San Diego.

I woke up a couple of hours later and jumped off the side of Intrepid into the frigid California waters which, though they were 70 that day, still felt freezing to me as I was still used to the tropical warm waters I had been in for the last months.

Later on in the afternoon my dad, Jen Edney, Christian Pinkston, Lisa Gizara and Peter Kokelar came out to take care of some last minute things. My dad brought me the shirt with my sponsor logos that I was to wear the next day. Christian and I went over some last things on my speech. Unfortunately, at the arrival I forgot most all of it and ended up just going for it - but hey I tried! Jen mounted cameras all over the boat and Lisa was snapping pics of all the action.

We had an awesome steak dinner over on Steve’s boat (also an Islander 36) and went over to the Boy Scout camp to say a quick hello to our friends, the people who run the camp, Brian and Judy Peirce. After that, they were all off back to Marina del Rey. I told Steve I’d be out of the bay by 3:00 am and on my way to Marian del Rey, a 6 hour sail in light wind. I went over my speech a couple of times, set my cell phone’s alarm clock and fell asleep. At 3:30am I heard a banging on the deck. It was a wake up call from Steve. I flipped open my cell to see what time it was and it was dead, probably from searching for service all night.

If it wasn’t for Steve, I’d probably have been 3 hours late getting in to Marina del Rey! It was a cold, dark sail across the channel and I guess you can see the rest on YouTube!

Seriously though, it was great to get in. One by one boats began to come out and meet me until there were so many boats around Intrepid it was getting a bit crazy. There were a few near misses but for the most part, it was just awesome. There were a lot of pleasure boats, a Life Guard boat spraying water, a Sherriff’s boat with siren running, 3 or 4 helicopters in the air and once we entered the harbor we all sailed through an entire Junior Sailing class headed in the opposite direction!

The rest of the day was a bit of a blur. There were speeches and awards and interviews and autographs to be signed. In the midst of it all Christian got a call from Arnold Schwarzenegger and so I spoke to the Governator for awhile as well!

The Del Rey Yacht Club hosted a party at the club afterwards which was packed with well-wishers. It was an amazing day for sure. So thank you to Sherrie Barone who coordinated a lot of that.

The web cam died in the end of unknown causes. The good news is that Velodia Media had an entire crew out that day to document the return and even took the time to capture interviews with Mom, Dad, and I. This footage will be up on the site soon.

Also, I am working with Humanety, a non profit organization that raises money for various causes. They have arranged an Ebay auction of a 1 on 1 video conference with yours truly. All proceeds to benefit the Surfrider Foundation.

The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world's oceans, waves and beaches. Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers in Malibu, California, the Surfrider Foundation now maintains over 50,000 members and 80 chapters worldwide.

Follow this link to the auction for more details:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Zac-Sunderland_W0QQitemZ270427845421QQcmdZViewItemQQptZTickets_Experiences?hash=item3ef6c1732d&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A1205%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

There is also a link to the auction on my web site on the left margin. Check it out and support a great organization that helps protect our oceans.

Cheers,

Zac

PS If you are up late tomorrow night, I will be on the Jimmy Kimmel Show at midnight!

Photos of the Day

2009-07-16T22:30:00.000-07:00

Photos courtesy and copyright 2009 of Lisa Gizara:

It was a wonderful day. So many boats and people came out to see Zac return it was amazing!

Everyone is exhausted here and Zac, Laurence and Marianne will be up at 3:45am to head back to Intrepid for interviews with CBS: The Early Show, CNN American Morning, FOX 11 Good Day LA, CBC World News (Canadian), and the CNN Campbell Brown Show.

We all have a lot to say but may not have time for a bit - please be patient and enjoy these shows in the meantime.