Legendary Japanese ocean adventurer Kenichi Horie, 88, is preparing to sail solo and nonstop across the Pacific Ocean once again, aiming to break his own world record as the oldest person to accomplish the extraordinary voyage.
Horie announced that he plans to undertake the Pacific crossing by yacht next spring. If successful, the voyage would surpass the record he established at the age of 83.
Horie is no stranger to historic ocean voyages. at the age of 83, he departed from San Francisco, United States, sailing beneath the iconic Golden Gate Bridge on a solo journey across the Pacific. After more than two months at sea, he reached the Kii Channel off Cape Hinomisaki in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, in June 2022. The remarkable voyage earned Horie recognition from World Records as the oldest person to complete a solo crossing of the Pacific Ocean. Now, five years older, the veteran sailor is preparing to challenge his own record.
Horie’s extraordinary connection with the Pacific began more than six decades ago.when he was just 23 years old, Horie departed from Nishinomiya, Japan, aboard a small yacht named Mermaid.
He successfully sailed solo and nonstop across the Pacific, becoming the first person to accomplish the historic voyage. The achievement established Horie as a pioneering figure in ocean sailing and launched a lifetime of maritime adventures. Horie later documented his groundbreaking 1962 journey in the book “Kodoku: Sailing Alone Across the Pacific.” The book became a bestseller and helped bring international attention to his remarkable achievement and adventurous spirit.
More than six decades after his first solo Pacific crossing, Horie continues to challenge the limits of age and endurance. At 88 years old, his planned voyage represents another extraordinary chapter in a sailing career that has already produced multiple historic achievements. If Horie successfully completes the upcoming solo and nonstop Pacific crossing, he could once again enter the record books — this time by breaking the world record he himself established at age 83.
