Kojiro
Shiraishi

Inspired by stories of his exploits seen on national TV in 1983 a young Kojiro Shiraishi located and called up legendary pioneering Japanese solo ocean Yukoh Tada and asked him if he could be apprenticed to him and learn the art and science of ocean racing. Three years later after Tada took his own life Kojiro takes up the torch and vows to carry on Yukoh’s legend. In 1993, Kojiro became, at the age of 26, the youngest sailor to complete a non-stop, unassisted solo round-the-world trip. He is also the first Japanese to participate in the Vendée Globe in 2016 but has to retire into Cape Town when the tip of his mast breaks off. Then in 2018, the company DMG MORI announced the construction of a new boat, an IMOCA foiler with a view to participating in the Vendée Globe 2020.
Despite a complicated start to the race due to his torn mainsail, he managed to repair it and set off again to finish his Vendée Globe. In so doing he became the first Asian sailor to finish the Vendée Globe. The year 2022 is a year of rebirth. The boat has undergone extensive improvements to enable Koji to set off again on a new Vendée Globe 2024 campaign.