> US SAILING Media > Sailor of the Week > 2010 > Sailor of the Week - January, 2010 > Abby Sunderland
Abby Sunderland
Sailor of the Week: Jan. 14 - 20
Over the past year, the Sunderland family has helped the sport of sailing cross into the mainstream sports landscape. Seventeen year old, Zac Sunderland became the youngest person in history to sail around the world alone last July. This record took him a grueling 13 months and two days to accomplish. Six weeks later, Mike Perham of the United Kingdom, surpassed Sunderland’s freshly broken record.
Now, it’s Abby Sunderland’s turn. Zac’s 16 year old sister, the second of seven children, is just days away from embarking on her own journey. Abby wants to become the youngest person, male or female, to circumnavigate the world, alone, unassisted… and non-stop! Weather concerns off the coast of Marina Del Rey, Calif. has delayed her departure that could take approximately six months. Abby’s expert meteorologist has recommended a departure date of Friday afternoon (Jan. 22) or Saturday morning (Jan. 23).
She will set sail in a class 40 racing sailboat called Wild Eyes. Abby has accumulated thousands of coastal cruising miles through a number of hazardous weather conditions in preparation for her ocean adventure.
The Los Angeles Daily News named Zac and Abby – Sportsmen of the Year for 2009. Follow Abby’s record breaking attempt at http://abbysunderland.org/.