Posted: Nov 05, 2009 02:56 pm EST
(TheOceans.net) 16-year-old Abby Sunderland who is determined to sail solo around the world bought a boat, an Open 40.

Abby, her father and brother Zac who was previously the youngest who sailed around the world assisted flew to Rhode Island to get the boat.

’Wild Eyes’

The family planned to sail the boat, Wild Eyes, to Fort Lauderdale. “It should be a pretty fun sail and hopefully we'll get some good weather,” said Abby. “It’s only a 6 to 7 day trip and then we have some work to do on the boat while in Fort Lauderdale.

The boat will then be shipped from Florida to their homeport of Marina del Rey, California.

In the meantime, said Abby, there is always a lot to do; training on the water and in the gym, organizing supplies (food, clothing, tools, medical kit), meeting with potential sponsors, media and TV.

Emergency ports

Abby aims to depart early December. "We plan to map out some emergency ports just in case anything goes wrong," she says to soundingsonline.com, "but I want to go non-stop as much as possible."

Her father Laurence, a shipwright and owner of Sunderland's Yacht Management in Marina del Rey said to the news source, "It is a little harder to see your daughter go off on [a voyage] like this, but she's got the experience to see this through."

Abby has done solo deliveries for her father's company since she was 13, said Laurence. Sailing is a way of life for the Sunderland family, so she is qualified for the circumnavigation, he said.

American Abby Sunderland was born on 16 October 1993 and aims to do a solo circumnavigation as the youngest to do so.

Abby’s boat ‘Wild Eyes’ is a Scott Hollers Jutson design built in 2001 by ASA Yachts of Australia and went around the world as BTC Velocity in the 2002-'03 Around Alone, helmed by Bermuda sailor Alan Paris.

Jessica Watson was born on 18 May 1993 on the Gold Coast and currently lives in Buderim Australia. On 19 October 2009 16-year old Jessica Watson set sail on from Sydney Harbour passing the official start line of her around the world journey at Sydney Heads at 9.49 am. It is an estimated 23,000 mile, 230 day solo voyage.

Jessica’s goal is to sail solo around the world non-stop, unassisted. She says she has chosen a route that is a traditionally recognised path and distance for ‘around the world sailors’.

Both British Mike Perham and American Zac Sunderland sailed around the world assisted. They were 16 when they started their voyages. Zac turned 17 on November 29, 2008 and Mike turned 17 on March 16, 2009.

Mike stayed further out to sea, whereas Zac stayed closer to shore. Zac Sunderland departed on his yacht from Marina del Rey, California on 14 June 2008 and arrived back 13 months later on July 16, 2009. Mike Perham left from Portsmouth’s Gunwharf Quays on Saturday 15th November 2008 and crossed his finish line on 27 August 2009. He currently holds the record for the youngest sailor around the world, assisted.

A 14-year old Dutch girl, Laura Dekker’s dream is to become the youngest to sail around the world, but it her home country’s authorities haven’t given her permission to go.

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