Sport

Around the world, on his own

Kojiro Shiraishi already holds the record as the youngest sailor to circumnavigate the globe in a solo journey (he was 26). Now, he’s about to embark on another epic adventure. Words Akiko Toya and Shiori Kotaki

Unless you’re a sailing enthusiast, the name Vendée Globe may not mean much. But this around-the-globe, nonstop solo yacht race, held once every four years, is the most demanding challenge of its kind and considered the ultimate in ocean racing. Aiming to add his name to the list of less than 200 captains to successfully complete the race since it began in 1989, Kojiro Shiraishi, 48, is also endeavouring to become the first

Asian to ever take part in this hallowed contest. Spinning a world globe in his hands as we chat to him about the race, Shiraishi looks like an excited young boy overflowing with curiosity and adventurous spirit. ‘If I didn’t have a globe to spin like this, I’d have no idea of what to expect in this competition. That’s quite unusual [for a competition], isn’t it?’ However, when asked if he’s prepared, he assures us he could set sail

‘right away – tomorrow, if need be’. That’s because Shiraishi continuously keeps himself in top form, honing his skills as the professional skipper he is. There’s no way he could even begin to think about competing in the

Vendée Globe otherwise.

The race begins at Les

Sables d’Olonne in France before following a course from west to east via the three major capes of Good

Hope, Leeuwin and the Horn.

It’s treacherous at times and can take anywhere from 78 days to 160 days to complete, with many sailors capsizing along the way.

As if the race itself wasn’t daunting enough, Shiraishi faces a tall hurdle before he can set sail on November 6, 2016: he needs to raise a whopping ¥300 million in funding in order to compete. And it’s proving difficult to raise the cash in Japan, where yacht racing doesn’t exactly capture the attention of the masses. But Shiraishi keeps trying, enticing people with his talk of how ‘there’s no race more exciting than this: a single person, the smallest unit of humanity, circumnavigating this enormous world alone, relying on nothing but the wind’. So far, his fundraising lectures in Tokyo have drawn enthusiasts from all across the country, with many hopping on the shinkansen in order to come and support Shiraishi’s Vendée Globe bid.

Doesn’t he think he’ll get lonely out there, all on his own? The ever-upbeat Shiraishi says, ‘Even though I’ll be by myself, I still think there’ll always be something interesting for me to do or see.’ It’s the kind of positive attitude that’s helped him to charm his supporters so far, and the kind that’s bound to see him conquer the high seas once again.

WANT TO HELP? If you’d like to lend Kojiro Shiraishi a hand and help him make it to the starting line of the Vendée Globe, check out the website kojiro.club. It features all the details of the race, and lists information on Shiraishi’s lectures and fundraising events (in Japanese only). Details about the race can be found at www. vendeeglobe.org/en.