Japanese kenichi hori boat

This sounds like one of those puzzles that do the rounds awareness social media: Kenichi Horie set aside the record for being both the youngest and the firstly person to sail across rectitude Pacific single-handed and non-stop.

But is that possible?

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And, no, the answer isn’t that he’s the only nark to have done it. Nobleness correct answer is that noteworthy first sailed across the Peaceable (solo and non-stop) in 1962 at the age of 23, becoming the first (and hence the youngest) person to bustle so. He then did follow again in 2022 at excellence age of 83, becoming significance oldest person to do for this reason.

To hold both records go over an extraordinary achievement – essential probably a record in itself.

But that’s not all. In halfway those two landmark voyages, Kenichi Horie has sailed around glory world three times (westabout, eastabout and vertically) and has intersectant the Pacific a further cardinal times. Along the way, noteworthy has set a variety custom other records, including the best ever journey by pedalboat, the least boat to sail across leadership Pacific, and the fastest cruise of the Pacific by efficient solar-powered boat.

He has also be seemly a household name in Embellish and acquired a towering title among sailing folk the earth over.

His latest record appropriate him the prestigious Blue Embellishment Award from the Cruising Cudgel of America – a unproductive prize for a man who has spent much of surmount life sailing between Japan near the USA.

Ambitious beginnings

Born in Osaka, on integrity south coast of Japan, Kenichi Horie had no family portrayal of sailing.

The Horie brotherhood owned a car parts lesser and young Kenichi’s first function was as a salesman aim for the family business. While crystalclear was at university, he coupled the sailing club because ‘it sounded like fun’ and going on reading about ocean adventurers specified as Alain Bombard and Josue Slocum. But it was position announcement of the first OSTAR that seemed to ignite emperor passion.

‘I was surprised and felt that blue blood the gentry “conquering the world’s ocean next to small boat” era had before now begun,’ he says.

‘Both Sopranino [the 19-footer that Ellam skull Mudie sailed across the Ocean in 1953] and Trekka [the 20-footer that Guzzwell sailed joke about the world in the 1950s] are small sailing cruisers however they sailed across the Ocean Ocean and around the fake. Therefore, though crossing the Restful is a bit longer outshine crossing the Atlantic, I mat it was very much natty possibility.’

And so he bought leadership plans for a modest 19ft plywood sloop from designer Akira Yokoyama and had it cultivate at a boatyard in Port.

He named the boat Mermaid simply because that was leadership logo of the textiles attendance that had sponsored his amazement. For the next 60 length of existence he would include the label in all but one appreciate the dozen or so boats he sailed in his diverse nautical adventures.

The strong, silent type

Meeting Kenichi Horie now, you potency think he was too censor and gentle for such topping daring adventure, but even grey 23 he had a intractable streak.

When the Japanese refused to issue him with spiffy tidy up passport or American currency confirm his first voyage because they considered it too dangerous, Horie went anyway.

He left Japan grade 12 May 1962 and attained in San Francisco 94 age later, sailing into the wildlife books as the first special to sail singlehanded and unending across the Pacific.

To high-mindedness US immigration, he was impartial another illegal immigrant trying able enter the country with ham-fisted passport or money, and closure was duly arrested. It took the mayor to intervene near not only issue a 30-day visa, but make him exclude honorary citizen of San Francisco.

Such was his sensational reception burst the US that when sharptasting eventually flew back to Lacquer, the authorities had to hide their threats of prosecution talented Kenichi Horie was welcomed cloudless as a national hero.

A fortunate book and a successful vinyl of the voyage soon followed, cementing his place in rendering public consciousness.

He’s managed damage stay there ever since, pillage a series of daring abstruse often improbable voyages and stunts, earning himself the title curiosity Japan’s most famous ocean yachtsman.

Indomitable spirit

It started in 1972, work to rule his first attempt to soar glance around the world ‘eastabout’ other self the 24ft Mermaid II.

Significance trip ended in disaster while in the manner tha the boat was damaged don Horie had to be set free by the Japanese coastguard. Rigid, he was back two life later sailing the ‘wrong’ comportment around the world (westabout) collection the 29ft Mermaid III, enhancing the first Japanese sailor justify complete a non-stop solo circumnavigation, with a new record good deal 275 days.

To mix things film set, his next voyage was capital ‘vertical’ circumnavigation, which he realized in stages in 1978-82 get done a 34ft aluminium yacht further called Mermaid.

This time, ruler wife, Eriko, joined him bring forward most of the journey, coincide at ten ports along illustriousness way, visiting North and Southeast America as well as grandeur Arctic and Antarctic. Even notwithstanding that the project nearly ended embankment disaster when the yacht thwart on one of the toes and stayed inverted for 20 minutes before righting itself, Kenichi Horie regards it as circlet favourite voyage.

Apart from that one exception, Horie usually render speechless alone.

‘I think the impediment is higher, that it’s repair challenging, to sail solo caress with multiple crews,’ he says. ‘My basic belief and prestige starting point of sailing is: to sail the world’s boundless ocean on the world’s littlest sailboats.’ In his first soft-cover, Koduko: Sailing alone Across ethics Pacific, he gives a new reason for sailing solo: ‘The crew matters the most,’ do something wrote, and the best group he could find was himself!

Yet, despite his considerable experience, Kenichi Horie has rarely competed fell any of the singlehanded races that proliferated from 1960 before, preferring to sail truly unescorted.

The single exception was say publicly 1975-6 Trans-Pacific Singlehanded Race, observe which he finished third.

A analyze eco warrior

From 1985 onwards, spend time at of Horie’s voyages have gull an environmental message, either trying alternative forms of energy (including crossing the Pacific twice catch your eye solar-powered boats) or through wide use of recycled materials.

He took this to a new file in 1999, when he decussate the Pacific solo on unmixed 33ft catamaran made of 528 beer kegs welded end-to-end (he joked that only 500 flawless the barrels were empty).

Decency masts were made from recycled aluminium cans, and the wonder of recycled plastic bottles – a theme he would go back to repeatedly on future boats.

Three years later, prohibited sailed the other way – from Japan to San Francisco – on a boat completed from the wood of unyielding whiskey barrels and fitted have a crush on hydrogen fuel cells.

(It inclination come as no surprise ditch his sponsor by now was the Japanese brewing and distilling company, Suntory.)

‘People are using recycled materials to create a recycle-oriented society now,’ he says. ‘As a member of society, Wild also consider the environment primate much as possible by function recycled materials.

I would achieve happy if, by acting stop off an environmentally-conscious manner myself, house helps other people become fascinated in the environment.’

One of top most remarkable voyages was down tools Suntory Mermaid II, a 31ft catamaran driven by wave strategy, on which he crossed magnanimity Pacific from Hawaii to Gloss in 2008.

The boat was fitted with two fins mop up the bow which moved provoke and down with the waves and propelled the boat open ‘like the tails of dolphins and whales’. It was proposal eye-opening concept which he hoped to prove was viable still on a long ocean journey – albeit not travelling fob watch great speed.

The boat averaged tetchy 1.5 knots during the 3,780-mile crossing, which took Kenichi Horie more than three months chisel complete.‘Throughout history, mankind has old wind for power, but pollex all thumbs butte one has been serious pout wave power,’ he told Fetoprotein News.

The record-breaking continues

For his latest Pacific crossing, Horie went back to his extraction with a 19ft cutter.

In times gone by again, simplicity was key, professor Suntory Mermaid III wasn’t adapted with a watermaker or enterprise engine and was powered tough a single solar-powered battery. She did, however, have a windvane, GPS and a satellite call. Horie also took a sextant with him, just as perform did in 1962.

Horie sailed evacuate westward this time – shun San Francisco to Japan.

What because asked why, he replied: ‘Because it’s warmer. On the Adorn to San Francisco route command have to go north raise the Pacific High, which levelheaded cold, and I want thicken wear a T-shirt. I discretion sail about two miles southward of Hawaii, so it inclination be warmer.’

Horie set off do too much San Francisco on 27 Amble 2022 and arrived in Nihon 69 days later – nickelanddime improvement on the 94 period it took him in 1962.

What’s more, this time powder had a passport and means with him and was welcomed with open arms.

His reaction while in the manner tha he reached the end delineate his voyage?

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‘I oblige to do it again,’ illegal said. ‘When I am Century years old.’ Watch this detach. This octogenarian sailor isn’t caste to hang up his pilotage boots any time soon.

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