A Peace and Sport Ambassador, the Chinese navigator Guo Chuan, disappeared at sea off the coast of Hawai, whilst doing a solitary crossing from San-Francisco to Shanghai, on a Trimaran bearing the colours of the organisation he was sailing in aid for (Peace and Sport).
The trimaran was found bobbing up and down on a quiet sea. Guo Chuan left San Francisco on the 18th October, and intended to reach Shanghai. Gu Chuan is the first Chinese person to have sailed around the world in solitary without any stopovers. He is also known to be a great ambassador for Peace and Sport, an organisation that is based in Monaco and that uses the mindset and values of sport to promote world peace. He was hoping to do the Pacific crossing in his 30-metre trimaran, and break the record of the crossing in solitary.
The last time anyone received news from people who consider being the Chinese equivalent of Eric Tabarly, was on the 25th October. Neither the US Coast guards or any of the research helicopters or planes have been able to get in touch with Guo since then. A rescue vessel was sent to the Trimaran, and the vessel was found to be empty, although they did find his life jacket. His personal possessions that were on the vessel have been collected to send to the navigators family.
The head of the US Coast Guards, paid a tribute, in a speech, saying that Guo Chuan was a great and professional navigator and he will be sorely missed by his friends and family as well as the international sailing community. Guo was also known to be the first to sail through the Northeast passage of the Arctic from Murmansk in Russia to the Detroit Bearing which separates Siberia from Alaska, which he accomplished with a team of 5. Our deepest sympathies to his friends and family.
