Pacific Magazine > Daily News

Teen Solo Sailor Making Good Time To Australia

By Karen Earnshaw on Majuro
Wednesday: August 20, 2008

At 7 a.m. on Wednesday morning Majuro time, 16-year-old American solo sailor Zac Sunderland had covered almost a third of the distance from Majuro, Marshall Islands, to his next intended port of call in Darwin, northern Australia.

"He sounded pretty good this morning," said Ted Cary on the yacht Sequester, who speaks to Zac twice a day on his high frequency radio from his Majuro mooring. "The wind had filled in nicely of his port quarter and he was having an easy sail."

Zac’s position on Wednesday morning was 8 degrees and 21 minutes south of the equator and 166 degrees and 3 minutes east (which is west of the dateline), meaning, according to Jerry McGraw on the yacht Po'Oino Roa that he's 983 miles from Majuro. Since leaving the capital, Zac headed due south, but has now turned slightly to the west.

"Of course, because a yacht doesn't sail as the crow flies, he's actually done more miles — 1,048 miles to be exact," said Jerry. "He's averaged five knots since leaving Majuro. Yesterday (over the previous 24 hours) he covered 143 miles and he's steering 233 degrees true."

Zac, who left Los Angeles on June 14 on his 36-foot sloop Intrepid, is hoping to be the youngest person ever to sail around the world solo. The record is currently held by Australia’s David Dicks, who finished his round-the-world voyage in 1996 aged 18 years and 41 days.

The young sailor spent just over a week in the Marshalls’ capital, during which time he met President Litokwa Tomeing, sailed on a traditional outrigger canoe, and had tons of fun with local youth.