There has been plenty of recent attention surrounding young Abby Sunderland’s attempt to sail around the world, and the subsequent rescue mission, which was able to pull her from her damaged sailboat in the turbulent Indian Ocean. We’re not sure whether her $200,000 sail boat was scuttled or set adrift. Let’s just hope she had good boat insurance.

Of course, the most important thing, for her parents and boating enthusiasts in general, is that she is safe and sound back on terra firma. Circumnavigating the globe is no small feat, especially for a young person. Had she completed the journey, Abby would have been the youngest person in history (at age 16) to circumnavigate the globe by herself.

Sailing around the world isn’t exactly a new thing. It has represented a kind of Holy Grail of sailing since the time that sailors figured out that the world was round. Of course, back then, having boat insurance was likely the least of your worries. With no satellite radio to call for help, you were pretty much on your own once you were out of port. While Abby didn’t quite make it this time around, here are a few notable sailors who did:

1. Juan Sebastián Elcano. Most people aren’t familiar with this name, but he was actually the man in charge of the first expedition to successfully sail around the world, finishing in 1522. What? You thought it was Ferdinand Magellan? Well, that’s partly true. It was Magellan’s voyage, and his idea, but the good Captain died enroute, during a battle with natives in the Phillipines. Elcano led the 18 survivors back to port.

1. Jessica Watson. While there has been much hype about young Abby Sunderland’s attempt to break the record, it has almost been forgotten that another 16 year old, Jessica, recently set the world record for solo circumnavigating the globe.

1. Francis Joyon, a Frenchman, who holds the record for the fastest solo circumnavigation, completing the voyage in 57 days.

1. Joshua Slocum of Nova Scotia, who was the first person to sail around the world by himself, finishing the journey in 1898. He didn’t fare so well in later voyages, and was lost at sea in the Caribbean in 1908.

1. Bernard Moitessier, who took things up a notch in 1968-69 when he sailed around the world without stopping.

1. Harry Heckel, who became the oldest circumnavigator. He did take a few stops, but at 89 years old, who can blame him?

Photo via Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the BPL