16 and Sailing Around the World

From the first day Zac Sunderland said hello to planet earth, it seems he was destined to live the sailor's life. Brought home from the hospital to his first home, a 55' Tradewind in Marina del Rey, California, he was assigned his first bunk and listened to his mom tell the world of his birth over a single side-band radio...he never looked back.

Born to a family of yachtsmen and shipwrights, Zac quickly grew sea legs, and at an early age was deciphering Lat/Longs, not streets and avenues. His three wheeler youth was substituted with hoisting mains, jibs and mizzens.

As he grew more confident under his dad's tutelage, Zac joined the family on sailing adventures to Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Mexico; there, developing not only his sailing skills but also adding to his experience with other cultures. When his shipwright father purchased a 51' Aleutian, Zac worked with him to outfit it for the cruising life, and after 6 months the family left for a 3 year cruise of the Channel Islands, Baja California and mainland Mexico. This period in Zac's life was the epiphany that all young men could envy. It instilled in him a love of the sailing life, a deep respect for the ocean, and the commitment and drive to pursue his dream; to someday circumnavigate the globe, single-handed.

Since then, 16 year old Zac Sunderland, a homeschooled A student, has been preparing himself physically and mentally for that dream. He has been racing, crewing and delivering yachts of all sizes and value. He crews for delivery captains up and down the west coast, often given sole responsibility for navigating, sail trim and resolving mechanical problems. In between studies and crewing, Zac will work on marina yachts, either on his own or under the wing of his shipwright father, up in the crow's nest installing or repairing rigging, down below on a thru hull fitting, or maybe overhauling a diesel engine. Zac has recently purchased an Islander 36 with his savings and is in the process of aquiring sponsors to aid in the outfitting of the boat for world cruising. His experience and knowledge are broad and deep.

HE IS READY TO LIVE HIS DREAM.