16 year old to attempt youngest solo circumnavigation

[Thermo]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7454345.stm

US teen sailor takes on the world


A 16-year-old from Los Angeles is hoping to become the youngest person to sail round the world alone. Zac Sunderland sets off on Saturday and will make the historic year-long journey in a boat bought with his own savings, the BBC's Rajesh Mirchandani reports.
More of the article at the link.

When I was 16, I was lucky to afford gas for that junker Pinto.
He must budget his allowance and summer jobs well, to buy an Islander 36 and outfit it for this voyage.

[Captain Blight]

I guess even Trustafarians feel the need for adventure in their lives.

Well, bless his little heart. I can only wish him fair winds 'n following seas.

[Michael Beckman]

if i had tried that one at 16 i'd probably be dead. I hardly knew how to navigate

[The Bigfella]

Unusual route - and not doing it non-stop I see.

Jesse Martin did it when he was 17:


On Dec. 7, 1998, at 17 years old, Jesse departed from Melbourne, Australia on his boat Lionheart to attempt to become the youngest person to sail solo and nonstop around the world. He sailed south of New Zealand, through the South Pacific, around South America, north on the Atlantic, back south past Africa, through the Indian Ocean and back to Melbourne.



David Dicks also went around Cape Horn, and did it non-stop, but not un-assisted - he had to accept a bolt from a Royal Navy ship to repair damage sustained rounding Cape Horn:

http://www.periebanou2.com/david.html

[WX]

I wish him luck. I see he is taking an Iridium phone with him.

[PeterSibley]

When I was 16 ,buying a new Honda 50 was my major achievement .I wish him fair winds and a settled heart .

[redbopeep]

I'm always glad to see a family that supports high reaching goals of their kids. Financially, this kid may have "bought" the boat HULL, but sounds like daddy outfitted the boat completely, btw. :)

I don't know how he's going to achieve his numerous trip goals--he must be totally hyper! solo ocean sailing is typically totally exhausting--then add schoolwork and write a book while he's "surviving" the trip? If he were my child, I'd love for him to do the trip, but I'd probably have already had him take the GED to get the pressure of school off him during the trip (I think you can take it at 16) and I'd probably NOT encourage him to try and beat a world record which is solely based on age--instead I'd encourage him to do a trip that is exciting, fun, and a learning experience. That would probably take more than a year of zipping 'round the globe; I'd not expect to see him back for 2-3 or more years.

We do wish him the best of luck in this adventure and hope it goes very well indeed.

[PatCassidy]

Nothing quite like drifting through shipping lanes with nobody on watch.

[Katherine]

if i had tried that one at 16 i'd probably be dead. Me too, but mostly because I had these people generally referred to as parents who spent countless hours seeing to it that I made it to my next birthday, despite my best efforts to do otherwise.:p

[Ian McColgin]

I'm all for it. Finastkind.

Good form. Good show. Courage. &

Gluck

[Thad Van Gilder]

Love this line:

"he has all the latest equipment, his own father outfitted his boat. So as far as that goes, we have managed those risks."

managed those risks... yup they make sailing across an ocean sound like crossing the street!

-Thad

[WX]

yup they make sailing across an ocean sound like crossing the street!

Yes, except the oncoming bus takes the shape of a tropical low and you are in the wrong quadrant.