After being the first person to accomplish the feat successfully in 1962,
yachtsman Kenichi Horie repeats the maneuver.
Kenichi Horie admitted before starting off that his sole concern about
sailing by himself nonstop across the Pacific Ocean was his advanced age.
The 83-year-old, who is referred to as "Japan's most renowned yachtsman,"
demonstrated on Saturday that it was not an issue after all by becoming the
oldest person to complete the challenge.
The record-breaking octogenarian, who in 1962 also became the first person
to successfully attempt the feat, landed in the seas off the Kii peninsula
in western Japan at 2.39am local time after spending more than two months at
sea.
He had a motivational message for the entire globe after navigating the
biggest body of water on earth. As he traveled from Shikoku Island to
Wakayama, he spoke to CNN over a satellite phone, encouraging them to "don't
let their goals only stay as dreams." "A lovely life awaits. Have a goal and
strive toward obtaining it."
On March 27, he departed San Francisco, California, on the 990 kilogram, 19
foot long Suntory Mermaid III, which was made just for his 5 foot frame. He
claimed that some aspects of the journey were difficult, and he contacted
his family at least once every day to make sure they weren't
concerned.
Horie, who made no port visits, was found on April 16 off the island of
O'ahu in Hawaii. On Saturday, he was scheduled to arrive in Cape Hinomisaki.
From there, he would be towed to Shin Nishinomiya Yacht Harbour, where he
will attend an arrival ceremony in the city of Nishinomiya in the Hyogo
Prefecture.
Horie has crossed the Pacific in a variety of boats, including ones
propelled by solar panels and foot pedals and fashioned out of beer kegs,
whiskey barrels, and aluminum cans. His physical preparation for his trips
is nonexistent. "I'm always in good health and great," Before embarking on
his most recent journey, he told the San Francisco Chronicle, "No
overeating, no overdrinking.
When asked if he was worried about his trip, he said, "Nothing at all.
Possibly simply getting older
He successfully navigated his ship from Japan to California in 1962, when
he was 23 years old and worked as a spare parts salesman. He accomplished
this feat as the first person to traverse the Pacific Ocean non-stop.
He recalled his first time: "I had the faith that I would make it; I just
wanted to take on the task." But he acknowledged that having only a radio
during a storm occasionally made him feel nervous. Throughout the trek, he
subsisted on rice and tinned food.
He spent 94 days at sea without a passport or money, and after sneaking
past San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge in a 19-foot wooden boat, he was
apprehended but quickly freed and given a visa in recognition of his
bravery.
In an interview with CNN, he said, "I didn't imagine I'd be sailing at 83,
but I'm still healthy and I didn't want to miss this chance." "I want to
keep trying because challenges are interesting."
The National Maritime Museum in California still houses the Mermaid, the
first vessel he used to traverse the Pacific. Recall for a minute, if you
will, the deed of a young Japanese who loved the boat and the United States
of America, according to a plaque that Horie contributed.
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