# Student Circumnavigators Zac Sunderland Skips High School to Sail Around the World By Alex Covert | Published 2009-01-25 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/high-school-at-sea-zac-sunderland-sails-around-the-world References: [trendhunter](http://www.trendhunter.com/AlexCovert) & [zacsunderland](http://www.zacsunderland.com) Zac Sunderland is a 17-year-old high school student whose attendance record is far from perfect. In fact, he hasn’t stepped foot in his school for 7 months, as he is attempting to sail around the world in his 36-foot sailboat--alone--a feat that would make him the youngest solo sailor to circumnavigate the globe. Zac took off from Marina del Rey, California on June 14th, 2008 and is currently at the southern tip of Africa. His position, his story, and a daily blog can be found at the link below. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.4/10 - Popularity: 19% | Activity: 75% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Life](https://www.trendhunter.com/life) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Solo Circumnavigation:** Potential for innovative technology and safety products for solo sailors. - **Alternative Education:** Opportunities for innovative online and experiential education programs. - **Extreme Sports:** Potential for new extreme sports events featuring solo circumnavigation. ### Who This Affects Most - **Maritime:** Increased demand for marine equipment and technology. - **Education:** Opportunities for education technology and experiential learning programs. - **Sports and Recreation:** Potential for growth in extreme sports industry and related equipment and apparel. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Autonomous Sailing Research Vessels](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/research-vessel.md) - [120-Day World Cruises](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/2028-cape-to-cape-world-cruise.md) - [Extreme Environment Yacht Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/75ft-explorer-sailing-yacht.md) - [51-Destination World Cruises](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/2025-world-cruise.md) - [Solar-Powered Private Catamarans](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/zen50.md) - [Water-Mapping Autonomous Boats](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/watermapping-autonomous-boats.md) - [Oceanic Family Activity Programs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/camp-at-sea-program.md) - [Luxe Yacht-Like Sailboats](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/jeanneau-yachts-55-sailboat.md) - [Child President Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/president-for-a-day.md)