Please select your home edition
Edition
PredictWind - GPS 728x90 TOP

Kojiro Shiraishi - the IMOCA fleet's Obi-Wan!

by worldmarine.media 7 Nov 2024 10:15 PST
Kojiro Shiraishi – Vendée Globe © Team DMG MORI

Kojiro Shiraishi is the skipper of the IMOCA DMG MORI in the Vendée Globe. At the age of 26 he became the youngest sailor to complete a non-stop single-handed circumnavigation, twice finished 2nd in the solo BOC Challenge.

He's also a big fan of Star Wars, and his favourite character is Obi-Wan Kenobi.

This is his third Vendée, having competed in 2016 and 2020, and on 11th February 2021 he became the first Asian sailor to complete the Vendée Globe, finishing 16th.

With the same boat, refitted with new foils, he is aiming for a top 8 position in this edition.

Ambre Hasson spoke with Kojiro via a translator in Les Sables d'Olonne to find out more, while Kojiro found out more about Ambre's Mini Transat campaign!

Related Articles

Who is sailing the boat?
Technology, AI, and the line offshore racing cannot afford to discover too late Well, the alternate headline is nowhere near as catchy. For it simply goes, ‘Technology, AI, and the line offshore racing cannot afford to discover too late.' So, accurate, yes. In-your-face? Definitely! Posted on 7 Oct Women's Match Racing Worlds, M32 Worlds
Women's Match Racing World Championship, M32 Worlds, Resolute Cup While summer's finale is never a great feeling, the season's swan song featured a special time for women's sailing in North America. Posted on 6 Oct Which rocks you on about?
Australia is part of the 38th America's Cup. So where are they at? Australia is part of the 38th America's Cup. Given the seconf Preliminary Regatta has just occurred, where is Team Australia at? Best ask CEO, Grant Simmer OAM Posted on 2 Oct Felix Weidling on the Women's Match Racing Worlds
Felix Weidling on the 2026 World Sailing Women's Match Racing World Championship Few regatta venues offer better sailing than San Francisco Bay. Combine this with 12 of the world's best women's match-racing teams and the 2026 World Sailing Women's Match Racing World Championship promises to deliver some of the year's best racing. Posted on 29 Sep The Real Deal
Naples, and Luna Rossa, deliver America's Cup Masterclass It's hard to overstate how important the Preliminary Regatta in Naples was for the America's Cup, when on the surface it was just a show. Posted on 28 Sep Hannah Brewis Interview
Journey from Clipper Race First Mate, to Skipper, to Deputy Race Director When it comes to the Clipper Race, Hannah Brewis has done it all. Starting as a First Mate during the Covid-affected race, on to Skipper in the last edition, and now she is the Deputy Race Director. Posted on 25 Sep A WIC debrief with Cascadia Sailing's Jen Glass
A debrief report from the Women's International Championships with Jen Glass One of the hardest fought regattas of the year was the NYYC's Women's International Championships. The invitational event saw 20 star-studded, all-women's teams from 14 countries compete aboard the NYYC's fleet of identical IC37s on Narragansett Bay. Posted on 24 Sep NYYC's WIC, StFYC's RBBS, SailGP news
Women's International Championship, Rolex Big Boat Series, and SailGP news This past week marked the inaugural edition of the NYYC's Women's International Championship, which took place on the waters off of Newport, Rhode Island, and which was contested aboard the NYYC's fleet of identical Mark Mills' designed IC37s. Posted on 22 Sep On Board With Ollie!
The ex-Charal IMOCA becomes Embrace the Challenge, modified for crewed sailing I went to see Oliver Heer in Gosport to talk about the new (to him) IMOCA 'Embrace the Challenge', which was Jérémie Beyou's Charal. Posted on 21 Sep Starting premise.
There is no doubt that usage and/or ownership has changed, and is still a-changing... There is no doubt that usage and/or ownership has changed, and is still a-changing, across the entire sailing, powerboat and yachting market. We had a good mention of this in, Have it all. Do it all. Posted on 21 Sep
V-DRY-XMackay Boats 728x90 BOTTOMBarton Marine Pipe Glands
This site and its contents are Copyright © 2026 Sail-World Sail-World USA and/or the original author, photographer etc. All Rights Reserved. Photographs are copyright by law. If you wish to use or buy a photograph contact the photographer directly.
If you have any questions about advertising or editorial then please contact our team. If you encounter any technical issues then please email techsupport@sail-world.com
Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy