Minoru Saito, 77, has renewed his record as the oldest person to sail around the world solo, completing his trip at Yokohama Port on Sept. 17.
This latest trip took Saito three years. He left Yokohama in September 2008, heading west around the world against oncoming winds. He had planned to return to Yokohama in 2009 -- the 150th anniversary of the opening of Yokohama Port -- and hoped to renew his Guinness World Record of being the oldest person to sail alone around the world with no stops at ports along the way, which he set at age 71.
However, repeated trouble with his boat forced him to stop along the way, and a storm off of Chile in February 2010 damaged his boat, which caused a long delay in the resumption of his journey. He was also affected by the tsunami triggered by the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake, at Honolulu Port in Hawaii.
When he arrived at Pukari Sambashi Pier in Yokohama Port, he and a supporter who boarded the boat hugged each other.
"I've returned alive," said a smiling Saito.
