After more than a year at sea, Southern California teenager Zac Sunderland is closing in on a world record to become the youngest person to sail around the world alone.

The 17-year-old's family and friends are planning to celebrate his return from the 28,000-mile trip after his boat docks Thursday morning in Marina Del Rey.

During the trip, Sunderland braved encounters with pirates and storms aboard his 36-foot boat Intrepid.

But the shaggy-haired Thousand Oaks, Calif., native might not have the record for long. British sailor Mike Perham is a few months younger than Sunderland, and is sailing a bigger, faster boat.

The record is currently held by an Australian who was over 18 when he completed the voyage in 1996.