Solo Chinese Circumnavigators

by Xinhua News Agency and Sail-World Asia on 20 Aug 2009 From Xinhua:

'Zhai Mo, the first Chinese to attempt a solo sailboat voyage around the world, completed his ambitious tour on Sunday after sailing 35,000 nautical miles over two years, the Beijing News reported.

Locals warmly welcomed him when he arrived at Rizhao Port in east China's Shandong Province on Sunday morning. Zhai Mo, in his 40s, started his world voyage from Rizhao on New Year's Day in 2007. His 12-meter-long by 3.85-meter-wide boat is named after the port, which means sunshine in Chinese.

During his journey, Zhai visited more than 40 countries around the world. He endured many unexpected difficulties and even life-threatening tests, like stormy seas, hydraulic fluid leaks and fever. 'The weather changes very quickly on the sea, and the days felt like years, especially in bad weather. Violent winds, waves, and rainstorms rocked the boat, which seemed likely to be overturned at any time,' said Zhai, who had to tie himself tightly to the boat with a strong rope so that he wouldn't fall into the sea.'

Zhai received help from overseas Chinese all over the world during his two-year voyage. In 2008, he spent Spring Festival on a small island in the Philippines with an overseas Chinese family from Quanzhou. Before becoming an amateur sailor, Zhai Mo was an impressionistic and abstract painter. He used to live in New Zealand, where he began sailing. After sailing around New Zealand from February 2000 to August 2001, one month later he took his yacht out onto the Pacific Ocean again.

Zhai's next goal is to compete in the Vendee Globe, the only solo non-stop around-the-world race. "No one from Asia has ever competed in the Vendee Globe," Zhai said. "The race is regarded as a great test of human endurance. I must have a try."


Sail-World Asia:

Sail-World Asia would like to point out that between 21 January 2000 and 9 April 2002 Shaun Weng made a solo circumnavigation in his boat 'Albatross'. Weng sailed from San Francisco to Auckland by way of a 'shake down cruise', and then took off across the Southern Ocean from Wellington, New Zealand. He rounded Cape Horn on 31 March 2000, and then called in at Puerto Williams (Chile). Further stops included Mar del Plata (Argentina), Salvador (Brazil), La Poloma (Uruguay), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Tristan da Cunha, Cape Town (South Africa), Morombe (Madagascar), the Comoros Islands, Aldabra (Seychelles), and Mozambique. He passed Cape Leeuwin on 9 Jan 2002, the South West Cape (Tasmania) on 31 Jan 2002, and sailed into Wellington again on 9 April 2002 after a voyage lasting 2 years 1 month and 23 days.

Weng started and finished his voyage in New Zealand, not in the People's Republic of China, but so what? He is a PRC citizen so in our book this makes him the 'first Chinese solo circumnavigator'.