Zac Sunderland's Solo Circumnavigation

             

ASA Honors Zac Sunderland As He Makes Sailing History

On July 16th, 2009, 17 year-old Zac Sunderland has returned to Marina Del Rey and becomes the first under 18 and youngest person in hstory to have sailed around the world by himself in a sailboat. The American Sailing Association was there to honor him and to formally certify his records.

The American Sailing Association (ASA), the nation’s largest sailing association, estimates that fewer than 250 people in contemporary history have been known to “circumnavigate the globe via sailboat, solo.” Nearly three times as many individuals have succeeded in reaching the top of Mt. Everest.

Click here for the ASA press release describing the challenges and context for achieving such a sailing record. The ASA is one of the participating sponsors of Zac Sunderland’s voyage.

Please note that the ASA has sailing experts who can comment to media and others about what it’s like to cross the world in a sailboat – sailing experts who have set world records themselves. Please contact Charlie Nobles at cnobles@american-sailing.com; 310.822.7171. Or, Nina Forman at nforman2@roadrunner.com; 310.471.1996.

About the American Sailing Association (ASA)

A proud sponsor of Zac Sunderland’s expedition, the Marina Del Rey, Calif.-based American Sailing Association (ASA) is the largest U.S. sailing association. Established 26 years ago, the ASA encompasses an international network of 300 sailing schools in the U.S., Europe, Japan, Central America, Taiwan and China. To date, the ASA has certified more than one quarter of a million students to sail and more than 7,000 instructors to teach. More than 85% of professional sailing schools in the U.S. are ASA members. The mission of the organization is to teach people to sail safely and to bring the life enhancing benefits of sailing to the public. The ASA encourages sailing enthusiasts to ‘turn your passion into your lifestyle.’

LA Times article on Zac Sunderland

Photos Courtsey of Jen Edney