Guo Chuan, a Chinese sailor from Qingdao currently undertaking a solo non-stop round-the-world voyage, rounded Cape Horn—known as the “Mount Everest of the Seas”—aboard his yacht “Qingdao” on the morning of the 19th Beijing time, becoming the first Chinese to do so in a non-stop global circumnavigation.
“Cape Horn has a special meaning in the heart of every ocean-going sailor. It’s like reaching the summit of Mount Everest for a mountaineer. It’s a moment full of achievement and commemoration,” Guo said via satellite phone.
It is understood that since records began in 1969, there have been 165 people who have completed a solo non-stop circumnavigation of the globe.
Before the discovery of the Antarctic continent, Cape Horn was considered the southernmost point of the world’s landmass and the dividing line between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Due to its low temperatures, strong winds, and high waves, Cape Horn is the most significant and challenging geographical coordinate for all ocean-going sailors.
On November 18, 2012, 47-year-old Guo Chuan set sail from Qingdao and began his global voyage. Over the past two months, he endured numerous hardships: navigating through coastal fishing nets, battling persistent tropical storms in the Pacific, breaking through the high-temperature, windless conditions near the equator, dealing with successive equipment failures and sail damage, and pushing forward through the cold winds and huge waves of the Southern Ocean, before finally reaching Cape Horn.
Lin Zhiwei, executive vice president of the Qingdao Sailing and Windsurfing (Boat) Sports Association, said: “We sincerely congratulate Guo Chuan on this new breakthrough. This is another memorable day in the history of China’s ocean-going sailing sports.”
Ten years ago, Guo Chuan gave up a highly paid job to devote himself to sailing, bringing a Chinese element to an ocean-going sailing sport long dominated by Westerners.