| Wikipedia: David Dicks |
David Dicks,OAM is an Australian yachtsman, made famous for becoming the youngest person to sail non-stop and solo around the world. In February 1996, at the age of 17, he set out from Fremantle, Western Australia in his family's 10m S&S34 sloop named 'Seaflight'. During his 9 month circumnavigation, he faced many challenges such as numerous knockdowns, bad weather, equipment failure, and food poisoning. Because of accepting a bolt to fix his rig near the Falkland Islands, his circumnavigation was not considered unassisted. He returned back safely to Fremantle in November 1996 amid great fanfare, including a ticker-tape parade and being given the 'keys' to Perth City. In 1999 he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).
On 14 June 2008, Zac Sunderland, 16, a yachtsman, of Thousand Oaks, California, sailed from Marina Del Rey in his 36-foot (11 m) sailboat "Intrepid" to circumnavigate the world.[1] Zac primarily aimed to break David Dicks' record,[1] and if successful, this Ventura, California sailing prodigy will be the youngest American sailor since 1965 to attempt a solo global circumnavigation. 16 year-old Robin Lee Graham left Los Angeles, California but did not finish his voyage until 1970, at the age of 20. With over 15,000 sea hours record, Zac desired to emulate his other hero and friend, Aussie, Jesse Martin, who completed his own circumnavigation at age 18.[2]
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