Score one for the kids.
Zac Sunderland, age 17, returned Thursday from a 13-month journey around the word in his sailboat Intrepid, making him the youngest person ever to sail around the world solo, and the first person under 18 ever to do it. He broke the age record set by Jesse Martin of Australia in 1999, sailing into Marina Del Rey. Hundreds of supporters sailed out to greet him and guide his boat into the harbor.
Like any sailor, Zac encountered storms, boat malfunctions, and even pirates as he navigated the stunning but dangerous waters of oceans and seas around the world. And he had help, also like any sailor. His dad is a shipwright and flew out to help him repair his boat from time to time, and others offered him moral support through the blog he kept chronicling his adventures.
Zac commented, “I think society puts young people in a box — people 15, 16, 17 — and does not expect them to do much but go to high school and play football and stuff like that. This just shows they can do a lot more with some strong ambition and desire. My [advice] is to get out there and do your thing with all you got.”
He’s absolutely right about what society does to teens. The only way to combat that closed-minded attitude is to do what Zac did–do something that others don’t think someone your age can do.
Now I do have some questions about this. What about school, for instance? Did he take books with him, or did he do correspondence courses on his computer? How would that be possible? I mean, doesn’t sailing a boat take a lot of time and concentration? Is there time for homework? Is sailing around the world worth being pushed back a year of school? I don’t know–these are the questions reporters never ask.
There are a couple of kids poised to break Zac’s age record, a 16-year-old boy from Britain and a 15-year-old girl from Australia. Zac doesn’t seem too worried about that, and I can understand why. For one thing, nobody can take away his experience of solitude and the unlikely success he achieved against both man and nature.
For another, Zac Sunderland will always be the first sailor under the age of 18 to sail around the world alone. Nobody can break that record or take it away or supercede it. Congratulations, Zac; you’ve done an amazing thing.
And congratulations, Mr and Mrs Sunderland. You’ve raised a smart, resourceful, strong, and modest kid. And you had the courage to let him go for a little while, to stretch his wings and see just how far he could go. I’m not sure I could have done it, so kudos to you.
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November 8th, 2009 at 3:23 pm