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Solo Teens Rendezvous in Cape Town

When confronting a competitor, teenage boys often to like ‘psych out’ the other player by throwing insults and acting the tough. Not so with Zac Sunderland, 17, and Mike Perham, 16, who are both on quests to enter the record books as the youngest singlehanded circumnavigator. When the two met up in Cape Town earlier this week — Zac arrived via the Pacific aboard his Islander 36 Intrepid on January 25, Mike via the Atlantic aboard his Open 50 TotallyMoney on February 1 — they took tours of each other’s boats, had lunch and hung out like typical teenage buds. "We have so much in common," Mike wrote on his blog of meeting Zac and his dad, Laurence. "They’re such down-to-earth people and we shared several funny stories."

While Zac, who started off from Marina del Rey last June, isn’t in a big hurry to get around the globe, Mike had originally planned his trip to be non-stop. After leaving England in November, though, problems with his autopilot sent him into the Canaries for repairs. The stop in Cape Town is to address some ominous rudder noises, and then he’s off again. "It was great to meet Mike," Zac said on his blog, "and I wish him all the best."

Keep up with the adventures of these two young sailors at www.zacsunderland.com and www.sailmike.com.

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