Chinese mariner departs for trans-Pacific world record challenge

Chinese mariner Guo Chuan pilots his trimaran across the start line under San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge on Oct 17, 2016, aiming to set a new solo non-stop trans-Pacific sailing world record from San Francisco to Shanghai. [Photo/IC]

Despite being alone during the journey, Guo said he is definitely not lonely, as he always has the powerful support from his team as well as his countrymen. He showed strong confidence about the completion of this challenging voyage.

He said he is "psychologically one hundred percent prepared" while "technologically is 90 percent ready" to deal with such a big challenge.

A professional sailor for over 10 years, Guo holds two world records for sailing. One is the solo non-stop circumnavigation world record set in 2013. The other is the Arctic Ocean Northeast Passage non-stop sailing world record set in 2015.

Having recorded a 138-day solo non-stop circumnavigation, Guo didn't think it might be easier to make a solo non-stop trans-Pacific sailing attempt. He felt it's like a dash versus a marathon and they have different challenges and obstacles.

"During the solo circumnavigation, you spend more time in the sea, so you need to have more endurance and eat more rubbish food," he said.

"But this solo trans-Pacific sailing in this boat is another challenge," he said. "It's a mighty boat, really powerful. That means you need concentration every hour, every minute, every second."