Japanese adventurer becomes oldest to sail solo across Pacific

Kenichi Horie waves from his yacht Suntory Mermaid III after his trans-Pacific voyage. Photo / AP

An 83-year-old Japanese adventurer returned home on Saturday after successfully completing his solo non-stop voyage across the Pacific, becoming the oldest person to reach the milestone.

Kenichi Horie arrived in the Kii Strait off Japan's western coast, completing his trans-Pacific voyage in 69 days after leaving a yacht harbour in San Francisco in March.

It was the latest achievement for the octogenarian adventurer, who in 1962 became the first person in the world to successfully complete a solo non-stop voyage across the Pacific from Japan to San Francisco.

Sixty years later, he travelled the opposite route.

Kenichi Horie, seen here after arriving in Osaka Bay, was also the first in the world to successfully complete a solo non-stop voyage across the Pacific from Japan to San Francisco in 1962. Photo / AP

"I just crossed the finish line. I'm tired," he wrote in his blog after reaching Japan in the early hours of Saturday.

He said that his yacht, Suntory Mermaid III, was to be towed after sunrise for an expected arrival at his home port of Shin Nishinomiya yacht harbour in the evening. Local media said a welcome ceremony will be held on Sunday.

His achievement came after three days of struggle with pushback from a strong tide.

Kenichi Horie's achievement came after three days of struggle with pushback from a strong tide. Photo / AP

He wrote in his blog on Friday that he succeeded but was exhausted and took a nap after feeling assured that his yacht was now on the right track to the finish line.

Horie's return to Japan makes him the world's oldest person to complete a solo, non-stop crossing of the Pacific, according to his sponsors.

Horie has also achieved a number of other long-distance solo voyages, including sailing around the world in 1974. His latest expedition was the first since his 2008 solo non-stop voyages on a wave-powered boat from Hawaii to the Kii Strait.