MOST octogenarians enjoy sailing the oceans on a cruise ship – but a Japanese 83-year-old has done it in his own special style by becoming the oldest person to sail solo non-stop across the Pacific. Kenichi Horie departed San Francisco aboard his Suntory Mermaid III yacht on 27 Mar, and...
MOST octogenarians enjoy sailing the oceans on a cruise ship – but a Japanese 83-year-old has done it in his own special style by becoming the oldest person to sail solo non-stop across the Pacific.
Kenichi Horie departed San Francisco aboard his Suntory Mermaid III yacht on 27 Mar, and arrived in Cape Hinomisaki, Japan last weekend.
The adventure came 60 years after his first big trip, when at the age of 23 in 1962 he hit the headlines by becoming the first person to sail solo non-stop from Japan to California.
Horie also holds Guinness World Records for the Fastest Solar-Powered Pacific Crossing and the Longest Journey by Pedal Boat.
“I didn’t think I’d be sailing at 83, but I’m still healthy and I didn’t want to miss this chance,” he said.
“Challenges are exciting so I’d like to keep trying.”
