When we fi rst reported on Blue Water Medal winner Minoru Saito in the September/October 2007 issue of Classic Yacht he was preparing for his 8th single circumnavigation, this time the “wrong” way around the world against prevailing winds and currents. Now he’s in his third month of Saito Challenge 8 on the leg that takes him past the southwest corner of the Australian sub-continent and deep into the South Indian Ocean, a distance of 8,400 nautical miles from his Yokohama start.
Tested by gales and sudden squalls as she travelled the stormy Coral and Tasman seas near Australia, the Nicole BMW Shuten-dohji III made port for repairs and hatch reinforcements against the heavy seas she will encounter in the deep Indian and Southern oceans. The unanticipated layovers in Sydney and Hobart ended Saito’s plan for a non-stop circumnavigation, but he will continue on the westward “contrary” route that has been attempted by just a small number of solo sailors.
His record of 8 solo circumnavigations is still the chief goal of this voyage, along with the “eldest round-alone” world record as he finishes at age 75. His next major waypoint: the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. At 11,255 nautical miles, the African cape is not quite half way to Yokohama. Following the Guinness Record completion in June 2005 of his seventh single-handed circumnavigation, Challenge 8 this time entails a far more daunting westbound voyage against the prevailing winds, waves and currents.
The Saito Challenge 8 Support Committee, an all-volunteer international organization, supports Minoru Saito on his “wrong-way” voyage of 24,970 nautical miles. He already holds the Guinness Book world record as the oldest non-stop solo circumnavigator, at age 71. He’s now 4 years older, so the story of his next record might well begin this way when he returns to Yokohama in May, 2009:
“Minoru Saito crossed the fi nish line today on his record single-handed circumnavigation, making him the oldest sailor to complete a solo circumnavigation at age 75, the most number of solo circumnavigations (8), and the oldest solo sailor to complete a westward circumnavigation, going the “wrong way around.”
Tested by gales and sudden squalls as she travelled the stormy Coral and Tasman seas near Australia, the Nicole BMW Shuten-dohji III made port for repairs and hatch reinforcements against the heavy seas she will encounter in the deep Indian and Southern oceans. The unanticipated layovers in Sydney and Hobart ended Saito’s plan for a non-stop circumnavigation, but he will continue on the westward “contrary” route that has been attempted by just a small number of solo sailors.
His record of 8 solo circumnavigations is still the chief goal of this voyage, along with the “eldest round-alone” world record as he finishes at age 75. His next major waypoint: the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. At 11,255 nautical miles, the African cape is not quite half way to Yokohama. Following the Guinness Record completion in June 2005 of his seventh single-handed circumnavigation, Challenge 8 this time entails a far more daunting westbound voyage against the prevailing winds, waves and currents.
The Saito Challenge 8 Support Committee, an all-volunteer international organization, supports Minoru Saito on his “wrong-way” voyage of 24,970 nautical miles. He already holds the Guinness Book world record as the oldest non-stop solo circumnavigator, at age 71. He’s now 4 years older, so the story of his next record might well begin this way when he returns to Yokohama in May, 2009:
“Minoru Saito crossed the fi nish line today on his record single-handed circumnavigation, making him the oldest sailor to complete a solo circumnavigation at age 75, the most number of solo circumnavigations (8), and the oldest solo sailor to complete a westward circumnavigation, going the “wrong way around.”
Post a Comment