Having just turned 16 in October, Abby Sunderland set out from Marina del Rey on Saturday to become the youngest sailor to circle the globe solo.

Abby’s brother Zac set the record for the youngest to complete the feat at 17-years-old just last year before being dethroned by British teen, Mike Perham who was 2 months younger than Zac when he finished the voyage. Zac took 13 months for his voyage.

Abby has a more southerly route planned and intends to do the voyage without any stops on land. If everything goes according to plans, she will be at sea for 5-6 months. Her yacht is much faster than her brother’s and designed for the swells that she will definitely encounter on her more southerly route.

If successful with her itinerary, Abby would set a second record by becoming the youngest person to sail around the world unassisted. The current record is held by Australia’s Jesse Martin who completed his unassisted voyage at 18-years-old in 1999.

We wish Abby the best in her endeavor.