Japanese ocean adventurer Kenichi Horie on Saturday became the world's oldest person to make a solo, nonstop 8,500-kilometer voyage across the Pacific on a yacht.
Horie, 83, reached the Kii Channel, which separates Wakayama and Tokushima prefectures in western Japan, on the Suntory Mermaid III, his 6-meter-long, one-ton boat, at 2:39 a.m., after setting sail from San Francisco, California, on March 27.
"I'm very happy that I was able to return home without major problems," he said by phone. "I'm grateful for the support I received from you all."
The sailboat, which passed by Hawaii in April, utilized solar panels for electricity needs on board, and Horie used a satellite phone to speak with his staff and others on the ground.
The voyage traced a similar route to the one he made 60 years ago when he became the first yachtsman to cross the Pacific alone with no port calls, but in reverse.
Then 23 years old, Horie sailed to the West Coast city from Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, in around 90 days, carrying no passport.
The journey made him famous, and he wrote a bestseller based on it.
The sailor has continued to push himself on the seas, including a nonstop solo journey around the world in the early 70s.
In 2008, he sailed a wave-energy-powered boat for around 7,000 km from Hawaii to the channel.
The adventurer has said that he wants to keep challenging himself until he becomes a centenarian.
on the Suntory Mermaid III, his 6-meter-long, one-ton boat, at 2:39 a.m., after setting sail from San Francisco, California, on March 27.
