Zac Sunderland

The youngest American to sail solo around the world

At age 16 Zac Sunderland set off into the Pacific Ocean on a quest, not only to see the world and have the adventure of a lifetime, but to become the youngest person to sail around the world alone. More people have gone into space than have attempted a solo circumnavigation. Thirteen months later he returned completing his attempt and setting two world records: the youngest ever to sail around the world and the first under 18.

Zac was born in 1991, brought home from Santa Monica Hospital to a boat in Marina Del Rey where he grew up on and around the water. He learned how to sail when he was 4 years old - before he learned how to ride a bike.

As Zac grew older his love for sailing and adventure grew. When he was nine his family moved to a local island and the adventures got bigger – sailing, surfing, and rock climbing everyday, all day - the perfect training ground for a young adventurer.

Zac was now homeschooled which made it possible to travel and get his studies done while in isolated places with no schools. He was also able to move ahead at a much faster pace and in less time which resulted in Zac, at 16, was a year ahead. This made it possible to take the time off to plan and execute his round the world trip.

After living on Catalina Island for two years, the adventure bug struck Laurence Sunderland, Zac’s father, and they were off to Mexico in their 55’ sailboat, Amazing Grace, spending six months hopping from bay to bay. Passing the bar exam was the last thing to think about. Zac lived like Robinson Carusoe building forts on the beach and exploring the crocodile and water snake-ridden mangrove jungles with his new friends.

Over the next years he traveled all over the world sailing in Australia, England and New Zealand before moving back to California to a house in the valley where Zac went to high school, played football and became team captain and defensive MVP.

As a true sailor and adventurer, this was not the life Zac wanted to live so soon after his 16th birthday he started making plans for a solo circumnavigation. Without sponsorship, he bought his boat Intrepid with his life savings of $6500 he had earned from working on boats and buying, repairing and selling his boats. Three long months of work later, he was off on his 28000nm trip.

Over the next 13 months, Zac experienced rough storms, pirates, deserted islands, the loneliness of spending weeks alone at sea the adventure of learning new cultures and languages, making great friends and losing some to the sea.

Zac Sunderland is now 18, finishing high school, speaking around the nation to youth encouraging them to put wheels under their dreams and looking for his next adventure.