Chinese sailor completes record-breaking around the globe sail

[shuttler]

www.inmarsat.com

Foto courtesy_whatsonjinan.com

Foto courtesy-english.sdchina.com

Foto courtesy -China.org.cn


5 April 2013: Chinese skipper 郭川 Guo Chuan has set a new world record for sailing solo and non-stop around the globe.

Guo sailed back into his home city of Qingdao in Shandong Province, eastern China, today – 137 days and 20 hours after setting out in his Class 40 (12-metre) yacht, also called Qingdao.

No sailor has ever attempted a solo non-stop circumnavigation in such a small vessel.

Amazing achievement
Guo Chuan is also the first Chinese sailor to achieve the feat.

"This is an amazing achievement by Guo Chuan and we are delighted to have supported him during his record breaking voyage,” said Andrew Sukawaty, Executive Chairman of Inmarsat.

“As leaders in maritime communications, Inmarsat is proud to have been part of his team."

Keeping in touch
Throughout his 21,600-nautical-mile journey, Guo kept in touch with his support team and family via satellite services and airtime jointly provided by Inmarsat and China Telecommunications and Information Center (CTTIC).

He was provided with FleetBroadband 250 and FleetPhone Oceana 800 terminals, Inmarsat C safety services and an IsatPhone Pro global satellite phone.

Guo used media solutions from Livewire Digital to enable him to send photos and videos via FleetBroadband for his website and press coverage.

Dangerous moves
The closing days of his epic voyage proved tough for Guo who faced 30-knots winds and possible collision with fishing boats crowding through the Taiwan Strait.

"In order to avoid being tangled with fishing nets, I had to change the yacht’s direction while facing the wind.

“It's very hard and dangerous to do so," Guo told Chinese news site People’s Daily Online in a call on IsatPhone Pro.

Home in sight
"I had to watch out for fishing boats, fishing nets, wind speed and wind direction day and night - I didn't sleep in three days," added the sailing veteran.

Guo completed the 2008-9 Volvo Ocean Race and also competed in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race in 2006.

With home almost in sight, the yacht’s problematic generator broke down again – leaving Guo worried that he wouldn’t make it to the finish line.

But on 5 April, he sailed into Qingdao and a rapturous welcome.

Satellite communications
Guo’s voyage saw him sail east towards Cape Horn in Chile before heading for the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa and returning home via the Indian Ocean.

His satcoms support proved invaluable when he risked sailing into the path of Typhoon Bopha, the Category 5 super typhoon that caused devastation in the Philippines last December, claiming more than 600 lives.

With the help of meteorologist Christian Dumard, his onshore support team mapped out a safe route, transmitted via FleetBroadband.

Message in a bottle
Guo was also delighted to have a means of staying in touch with his wife and keeping up to date with news of their baby son.

But he stuck to age-old methods of communication as well - by dropping a message in a bottle at the Equator, at Cape Horn and as he sailed into the South China Sea.

Guo Chuan’s website: www.guochuansailing.com
FleetBroadband: Inmarsat - File not found
Livewire Digital: HD & SD solutions for broadcast and maritime - live and file based video delivery over IP

 

[shuttler]

More on the above news：

China's Guo Chuan completes his solo sail around the globe
04-05-2013 16:17 BJT

english.cntv.cn

Click on the link and watch the Video


Chinese sailor Guo Chuan has returned home to Qingdao. The 48-year-old becomes the first Chinese to singlehandedly circumnavigate the globe.

Aboard his Class40 yacht, Guo travelled about 21-thousand 6-hundred nautical miles in 137 days before returning to his hometown of Qingdao, where he set off on November 18th last year.

The Odyssey was planned to be completed within 125 days. But Guo had to prolong his stay on the sea following some damage to his yacht and several days of time lost in calm seas.

The once-in-a-lifetime journey saw Guo pilot his yacht across the Pacific Ocean and then down to Cape Horn off the coast of South Africa before crossing the Atlantic and Indian oceans before returning home to make a history.

China's Guo Chuan passes a finish buoy on his boat in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province,
April 5, 2013. Guo sailed back home on Friday morning to become the first Chinese to
successfully circumnavigate the globe singlehanded. Aboard his Class40 yacht, 48-year-old Guo
travelled about 21,600 nautical miles in 138 days before he returned to his hometown of Qingdao,
where he set off on November 18 last year. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)


Guo Chuan started his journey on November, 18th last year. From Qingdao, he sailed across the Pacific Ocean and headed into the Southern Hemisphere.On his journey east, he came to Cape Horn off the coast of South America around New Years.

Guo reached the half-way mark of his journey off the coast of Argentina as he began the trek across the Atlantic Ocean. Guo then sailed by the Cape of Good Hope before entering the Indian Ocean. The next leg of his trek took him from the South China Sea into the Taiwan Strait. After that, Guo headed North and finally arrived at Qingdao to complete his record setting 137-day journey.

A remarkable voyage and a remarkable man. Peter Koveos now takes a look back at Guo Chuan’s epic journey.

On November 18th, 2012, 48-year-old Guo Chuan left his hometown of Qingdao, a coastal city in East China.

His goal was to accomplish what no Chinese person had ever done -- to complete a non-stop solo circumnavigation of the globe.

After departing from Qingdao, Guo piloted his yacht eastwards across the Pacific Ocean. 39 days later, the sailor crossed the International Date Line, where he was able to celebrate two Christmases.

Guo said, "Another Christmas has come. Merry Christmas!"

China's Guo Chuan celebrates after returning home in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province,
April 5, 2013. Guo sailed back home on Friday morning to become the first Chinese to successfully
circumnavigate the globe singlehanded. Aboard his Class40 yacht, 48-year-old Guo travelled about
21,600 nautical miles in 138 days before he returned to his hometown of Qingdao, where he set off
on November 18 last year. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)



Guo expected to finish the circumnavigation within 125 days. But he was forced to prolong his journey following a string of unforseen incidents, ranging from equipment failures, a fast-moving tropical storm, and falling into an area in the southern hemisphere where there was no wind to help propel his vessel forward.

The sight of Cape Horn in Chile almost brought him to tears.

Guo said, "It has been two months since I departed. It’s a tough journey. It’s really tough. But I believe I will go on."

Sailing across the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, Guo’s hometown seemed within reach. But his luck took a turn in the Taiwan Strait, where a Typhoon and several fishing boats would impede his path.

Guo was forced to stay awake for 3 days to dodge the fishing nets. But he overcame all of that.

After his yacht completed the journey, Guo jumped into the water and swam towards his wife and son.

Guo said, "I don’t know what to say. Because I haven’t seen so many people for so long. I’m very touched to see so many people who care about me. Maybe silence is better than words. All the feelings are in my heart. I will swallow them gradually. Talk to me in a few days, and you’ll get a better story."

With his epic journey, Guo can write his name down in sailing history.

China's Guo Chuan passes a finish buoy on his boat in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province,
April 5, 2013. Guo sailed back home on Friday morning to become the first Chinese to
successfully circumnavigate the globe singlehanded. Aboard his Class40 yacht, 48-year-old Guo
travelled about 21,600 nautical miles in 138 days before he returned to his hometown of Qingdao,
where he set off on November 18 last year. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

China's Guo Chuan celebrates after returning home in Qingdao,
east China's Shandong Province, April 5, 2013. Guo sailed back
home on Friday morning to become the first Chinese to
successfully circumnavigate the globe singlehanded. Aboard his
Class40 yacht, 48-year-old Guo travelled about 21,600 nautical
miles in 138 days before he returned to his hometown of Qingdao,
where he set off on November 18 last year. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

 

[Cyberian]

Wow, well done China.

Another great world achievement by the Chinese in a long list of achievements.

Lets see if the Americans can beat this record?

 

[shuttler]

 

[shuttler]

Wow, well done China.

Another great world achievement by the Chinese in a long list of achievements.

Lets see if the Americans can beat this record?

Thanks!

Records are meant to be broken by anyone capable!

 

[FullMetalJacket]

Amazing achievement

 

[shuttler]

郭川驾“青岛号”驶入南中国海 投最后一个红牛漂流瓶
Guo Chuan driving "Qingdao number" cast into the South China Sea last Red Bull drift bottle

郭川在瓶内的字条中写下了自己的联系方式和航行简介
Guo Chuan wrote in a note in the bottle their contact information and navigation Introduction

Foto courtesy -redbullsports.com.cn

Special ifeng report (in Chinese)

 

[shuttler]

 

[shuttler]

 

[shuttler]

[youku]XNTM4NTk0NDY4.html[/youku]

upload date: April 12, 2013



[video]http://video.sina.com.cn/p/sports/o/v/2013-04-05/131062260481.html[/video]

Upload date: 2013-04-05



[youku]XNTA1MjkwNzQ4.html[/youku]

uploaded 4 months ago

 

[Oldman1]

Wow, well done China.

Another great world achievement by the Chinese in a long list of achievements.

Lets see if the Americans can beat this record?

Joshua Slocum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Joshua Slocum (February 20, 1844 – on or shortly after November 14, 1909) was the first man to sail single-handedly around the world. He was a Nova Scotian born, naturalised American seaman and adventurer, and a noted writer. In 1900 he wrote a book about his journey Sailing Alone Around the World, which became an international best-seller. He disappeared in November 1909 while aboard his boat, the Spray.

 

[shuttler]

Joshua Slocum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Joshua Slocum (February 20, 1844 – on or shortly after November 14, 1909) was the first man to sail single-handedly around the world. He was a Nova Scotian born, naturalised American seaman and adventurer, and a noted writer. In 1900 he wrote a book about his journey Sailing Alone Around the World, which became an international best-seller. He disappeared in November 1909 while aboard his boat, the Spray.

With due respect, a great achievement of Slocum too!

What was Joshua Slocum's time? And the size of his boat? Stop or non-stop jourmey?

This is Guo's data per OP:

5 April 2013: Chinese skipper 郭川 Guo Chuan has set a new world record for sailing solo and non-stop around the globe.

Guo sailed back into his home city of Qingdao in Shandong Province, eastern China, today – 137 days and 20 hours after setting out in his Class 40 (12-metre) yacht, also called Qingdao.

No sailor has ever attempted a solo non-stop circumnavigation in such a small vessel.

 

[acetophenol]

Indian Navy Lt.Commander.Abhilash Tomi became the first Indian to perform solo,non stop circumnavigation in a sail yatcht when he completed circling the earth in his yatch INSV Mhadei ,taking 150 days.
This guy took only 125 days,thumps up to him.

 

[gambit]

Joshua Slocum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Joshua Slocum (February 20, 1844 – on or shortly after November 14, 1909) was the first man to sail single-handedly around the world. He was a Nova Scotian born, naturalised American seaman and adventurer, and a noted writer. In 1900 he wrote a book about his journey Sailing Alone Around the World, which became an international best-seller. He disappeared in November 1909 while aboard his boat, the Spray.

Should have let the Chinese have their fantasy.

 

[walle]

Should have let the Chinese have their fantasy.

Except he took over 3 years and stopped all over the world, don't be the sour grape. A lot of people has sailed around the world, not many do it in one go and with such speed.