April blues for Saito
May 11, 2005 17: 10 EST
T. S. Eliot said “April is the cruelest month.” It hasn’t been that bad for Saito-san and his boat, Shuten-Doji II, but I wouldn’t exactly call it smooth sailing, either. According to Saito-san, he has experienced the following problems this month:
1. The engine is stopped
2. The mainsail is broken
3. The auto-helm cannot be used due to low electric power
4. The steering wheel has trouble
But it’s not just technical difficulties that have hampered the mariner. You can detect a sense of longing in one of Saito-san’s recent dispatches. The rendezvous Saito refers to below is a mid-sea meeting with his friend, Jeremy Firth, in “Storm Bay” off the southeast coast of Tasmania.
Rendezvous
“It has been a long time since I last saw the land. I’m now sailing about 6 miles off Tasmania. A cold front passed a little before. I am thinking of hoisting the Trysail when morning comes. Tomorrow, I look forward to a rendezvous off Storm Bay.”
Storm Bay lived up to its name, and high winds almost prevented the rendezvous from taking place. Plus, Saito’s satellite phone was out of order due to power problems. But friendship prevailed over weather and technology. According to Mr. Living, “It started to rain from the Southeast. Visibility became less than one mile. The wind blew strongly at Storm Bay…At that time wind of 25 to 30 Kts was blowing. Our 7 m boat was like a submarine…We advanced one mile to the south and found "SHUTEN-DOJI II" (Saito’s boat).
Despite poor visibility and lack of communication, the two boats were able to make contact.
Saito-san passed Tasmania and continued his journey northward. After the brief rendezvous with Jeremy (no gifts were exchanged) Saito remarked that he felt “very well both spiritually and physically.” Sometimes all it takes is the knowledge that someone out there is rooting for you.
Minoru Saito from Japan is attempting to become the oldest person at age 71 to do a solo, non-stop circumnavigation without stops. He left Japan October 16, 2004 on his boat Shuten-dohji II (translates "Drunken child" but commonly referred to as "Shoot your dog") and is in a close race with another Japanese sailor; Kenichi Horie, who embarked 15 days prior to Saito (on a new boat).
A killer typhoon stroke Japan 4 days after Saito's departure, the foul weather cost him jib damage, and his new weather fax system was busted. 3 teams were formed to supply Saito with regular weather updates in lieu of his non-operational weather fax.
Early January, Shuten-dohji II suffered two knockdowns, and the boat experiences communications glitches of both Iridium satellite phone and Fax. Minoru's foot is frostbitten, and there's a water leak in the Centerboard case.
Saito chose the name "Challenge-7" for his race for several reasons. It's the first digit of his current age, for one thing, and this voyage will become his seventh globe-circling, single-handed quest.
When he finishes Challenge-7 he will be 71 years old, which was the race number carried by Shuten-Doji II, his sailboat for all three BOC and Around Alone races in which he competed. In fact, "71" remains inscribed on the hull.
With more than 240,000 cruising and racing miles of his own, Saito is one of Japanese top yachtsmen. He completed the Around Alone (formerly the BOC Challenge) three times, the last in 1998/99 and this will be his 7th trip overall.
Saito has typically provided most of his own financial support for his voyages from his life savings after retirement. The modest sailor is not well-known in Japan, but he won special recognition as embodying "The Spirit of Around Alone" at the closing ceremony of the 6th Around Alone Race in 1999 in Charleston SC.
Saito’s position (red) courtesy of www.010.upp.so-net.
|
|
Feature Stories |
|
Latest News |
more news |
 |
Young sailor missing outside of Trinidad
Full Story
|
 |
Minoru Saito: Oldest around the world update
Full Story
|
 |
A new world speed sailing record: Ellen made it!
Full Story
|
 |
Vendee Globe 2005 Finish newsflash
Full Story
|
 |
Maud Fontenoy - another adventure has begun
Full Story
|
 |
Fedor Konyukhov: Declines Argos replacement on unassisted sail
Full Story
|
|
|
| Fedor - less than a week to go! Jun 3, 2005 | | Saito San - closing in on home and record! Jun 2, 2005 | | Atlantic Four: And they are off! Jun 1, 2005 | | Ollie - is anybody out there? May 31, 2005 | | ExplorersWeb Week in Review May 30, 2005 | | And they are off! May 27, 2005 | | Ellen gives transatlantic record a second battle May 27, 2005 | | Vagabond update - Polar bears, 200 candles and ice melting in Inglefieldbukta May 26, 2005 | | ExWeb interview - Atlantic Four: "It was all about persuading our wives" May 25, 2005 | | Iridium: "Invalid battery - matches found, 0" May 24, 2005 |
|
|
|
