Welcome to the official web site of
Minoru Saito’s Challenge 8 campaign
to become both the FIRST and the OLDEST sailor to complete eight solo circumnavigations of
the globe — this time the “wrong way around.”
We’ve been counting down the days and the Saito Challenge 8 departure date is now set. Minoru Saito leaves Sunday, Sept. 28 at 11 am from Pukari Pier in Minato Mirai, Yokohama. If you are in Japan, please come see him off.
Following the Guinness Record completion in June 2005 of Minoru Saito's seventh single-handed circumnavigation, Challenge 8 will this time entail a far more daunting westbound non-stop voyage against the prevailing winds, waves, and currents.
Saito acquired a “new” boat for Saito Challenge 8, a 1989 56-foot steel-hulled cutter-rigged sloop designed and built in Hawaii and given a total refit in Auckland, NZ.
Click to read the daily log as Saito single-handed the 4,750nm repositioning voyage from Auckland to Yokohama, with arrival on July 19. Final adjustments and provisioning for the expected 7-month voyage are now nearly finished.
We extend our gratitude and appreciation to everyone who supported the event. The party-cum-fundraising event was a rousing success, thanks to everyone’s combined efforts to get out the word, and the actual enthusiastic support provided. The Bayside Yokohama venue was absolutely perfect for our Gala Party!
Saito Gains Guinness World Record
as Oldest Solo Non-stop Circumnavigator
We received official word from Guinness World Records that Saito-san was included in the 2007 Guinness World Records book. It came as a welcome surprise, since we had never received the notification. This recognition joins the Blue Water Medal and Single-handed Sailing Hall of Fame honors he received in 2006.
Click here for the official Guinness World Records entry
Saito 8 Booths a Big Hit
at Japan Boat Shows
More than 20 volunteers help tell the Saito Challenge 8 story to visitors during annual 4-day marine event in Yokohama... Click for details
Our volunteers did it again... at the 3-day Yokohama “Floating Boat Show”... Click for photos
Minoru Saito's incredible life story is featured in Classic Yacht online magazine, in a two-part series.
See the movie trailer of the US-made TV series These Amazing People
featuring Saito: A "7-episode series about the most outrageous,
funny, inspirational people around the world." Thanks to TPI Ltd. for this tremendous tribute!