News Release
September 14, 2011
Saito Challenge 8
Contact: Hunter Brumfield
Phone: (+81 3) 3626-3539
Email: ftf@gol.com
Mobile: (+81) 90
52 13 49 67 (in Japanese: 90 49 36 01 14)
Saito Challenge 8 Fact Sheet
ABOUT MINORU SAITO
Name: Minoru Saito
Age: 77 years, 8 months, 10 days old on return
74
years old on departure
Born:
Asakusa, Tokyo, Jan.
7, 1934
Sailing
Resume (condensed):
1990-1991 — Participated in Third BOC
Challenge. Finished third in class.
1994-1995 — Participated in Fourth BOC
Challenge (his second), finishing sixth in class.
1998-1999 — Participated in Fifth BOC
Challenge, under new name of "Around Alone." This was his third
global race, which at age 65 made him the eldest competitor.
2003 — Published racing autobiography
"Kotou"
(Fighting Alone)
2004-2005 — Completed first solo non-stop circumnavigation, writing new records for both
“oldest non-stop circumnavigator” (at age 71) and “most number of
circumnavigations by a single-handed sailor” (7).
2006 — Inducted into Single-handed Hall
of Fame in Newport, RI.
2006 — Received the Medal of Honor from
City of Newport, RI.
2007 — Received the Blue Water Medal of
the Cruising Club of America, the top prize for adventure sailors. (Only Asian
to win this award in its 84-year
history).
2007/8 —
Included in the 2007 and 2009 editions of the Guinness Book of World Records
for “Oldest Person to Sail Around the World (Solo and Non-stop)”
ABOUT THE BOAT
Name: Sailing yacht Nicole BMW Shuten-dohji III
Built: 1989 in Honolulu Hawaii,
cutter-rigged (main, staysail, headsail)
Hull: Steel, full keel
Overall
dimensions:
55'6" x 14' 5" x 6.0' (17 x 4.4 x 1.8 m)
Gross
tonnage: 43 tons
Displacement: 50,000 lbs.
Fuel
capacity: 5,300
liters in four tanks
Max
hull speed: 8 knots
Reefing: Roller (staysail and headsail), jiffy (main)
ABOUT THE CIRCUMNAVIGATION
Type: Solo
Direction: Westward, "wrong way" against the spin of the
Earth
Distance: 28,850 nautical miles, 53,000 kilometers
Start date: October 2, 2008
Finish date: September 17, 2011
Duration: 1,080 days
Ports landed:
Yokohama (Start Oct. 2, 2008)
Sydney, Australia
Hobart, Tasmania
Cape Town, S. Africa
Punta Arenas, Chile
Punta Arenas, Chile (second time)
Valdivia, Chile
Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii (second time)
Chichijima Island, Japan
Hachijojima Island, Japan
Yokohama (Finish Sep. 17, 2011)
Finish arrival time & place:
10:30 am – 11:30 am
Saturday, September 17
Minato Mirai
Pukari Pier, Yokohama
ABOUT SAITO CHALLENGE 8
Structure: International committee based in Japan
Nature: All-volunteer
Main Sponsor: Nicole BMW (http://www.nicole.co.jp/challenge8/index.html)
Supporting Sponsors:
American Chamber of
Commerce in Japan (http://www.accj.or.jp/)
Albion (http://www.albion.co.jp/)
Barilla Japan (http://www.barilla.co.jp/)
ClearPoint Weather (http://www.clearpointweather.com/)
David Cooper and Team
Hawaii
(http://saito8.blogspot.com/2011/05/day-967-may-2711-jst-alls-well-thanks.html)
Fujiki Group (http://www.fujikigroup.com/)
GPlusMedia (http://www.gplusmedia.com/)
Harken Inc. (http://www.harken.com/)
Henri Lloyd (http://www.henrilloyd.com/)
Henri Lloyd (http://www.henrilloyd.com/)
Iridium
(http://www.iridium.com/)
Japan Radio Corp. (http://www.jrc.co.jp/eng/index.html)
Nicole Group (http://www.nicole.co.jp/)
Rogers Investment Advisors (http://www.rogersia.com/)
Rogers Investment Advisors (http://www.rogersia.com/)
Sunsail (http://www.sunsail.co.uk/)
Tokyo American Club (http://www.tokyoamericanclub.org/)
Tycoon (http://www.gnavi.co.jp/gn/en/g205500h.htm)
Wolver Hill Asset
Management (http://www.rogersia.com/)
U.S. Dairy Export
Council (http://www.usdec.org/)
Yasuda Gakuen Alumni
Association (http://www.yasudaob.com/)
Web sites:
http://www.nicole.co.jp/challenge8/index.html
Daily blog: http://saito8.blogspot.com/
