24-year-old becomes youngest Japanese to circumnavigate globe by yacht

Congrats to him

A great achievement for anyone.

I don't how those solo sailors do it. Sleeping, for example.

The article needs information about the boat, its length, equipment, etc.

Well done, he's achieve things that salaryman can't, most salaryman just stuck with daily commute, office space, endless meetings and needless nomikai after work.

I have been following him through a Japanese site.

Quite an achievement.

One thing of note is.

Hirotsugu Kimura, a former Maritime Self-Defense Force member,

The attrition rate from all branches of the Japanese SDF is an unspoken nightmare for them.

To lose someone of this ability at such a young age shows how chronic the problem is.

@geoflee, the steering is managed by a power assisted link to the tiller, that's connected to a GPS tracker which keeps the boat on course, as for sleeping they just do, unless the swell of the ocean is rough, he did well to break the world record, it's a tough place to be out there hundreds of miles away from any sort of rescue when thing go wrong.

Hats off to Hirotsugu Kimura! His years in the Defense Forces would have taught him discipline and toughness. An amazing achievement - all the best for the future to him!

Hi Fighto re.

Hats off to Hirotsugu Kimura! His years in the Defense Forces would have taught him discipline and toughness.

"He served as an MSDF submariner prior to joining an industrial waste treatment company in 2020 that supported his circumnavigation bid."

He is 24 now, he left the Marine SDF 4 years ago at 20.

He probably joined at 18 , but I have no evidence of that. Even so His years in the Defense Forces were not long.

My friend's son just signed out at 22.

gary

@ Gary - very true. But I'm sure the Japanese MSDF taught Hirotsugu everything he knows about seafaring and navigation.

Congratulations to the 24-year-old adventurer for becoming the youngest Japanese to circumnavigate the globe by yacht! This incredible achievement is not only a testament to their skill and determination but also an inspiration for young sailors worldwide. It's amazing to see such passion and perseverance lead to a historic milestone. Safe travels and fair winds on all future journeys!

If he didn't beat the World record,what did he achieve, everyone knows Japanese have low standards at excelling to something,if they are not competing against foreigner

If he didn't beat the World record,what did he achieve

So your theory is that if you aren't the number one in the world, then it means nothing.

Seems legit. I'm sure there must be intelligent people who would probably agree with you. Not me mind you, but there must be one somewhere.

Congratulations on his remarkable achievement! Wishing him continued success and fulfillment in all his future endeavors.

Congratulations, Mr. Kimura, may your future hold even more great accomplishments!

Congrats to Mr Kimura, but hmmmm, is it really that big of a deal? Sir Peter Blake (Steinlager 2 legend who broke numerous round the world record) was the same age when he 'competed' in the Whitbread (now Volvo Ocean) round the world race. Grant Dalton (Emirates Team NZ AC team leader) was 22 when he did the same. There was a Chinese guy 21 when he competed in his first Whitbread.

Then there's young Jessica Watson from Australia....

the steering is managed by a power assisted link to the tiller, that's connected to a GPS tracker which keeps the boat...

Also he will use a wind vane which is purely mechanical and will steer the yacht based on the wind direction.

This reduces the draw on batteries from the GPS fed auto pilot which needs a 12 volt pump to run it.

is it really that big of a deal?

Yes it is