DMG MORI SAILING TEAM challenges the Vendée Globe 2024 with Mr. Kojiro Shiraishi for sailing promotion in Japan and young talent development

On March 31^st, 2021, DMG MORI SAILING TEAM (hereinafter referred to as the “TEAM”), a professional oceanic sailing team, held a press conference in Tokyo. Mr. Kojiro Shiraishi, the skipper of the TEAM, and Dr. Masahiko Mori, President of DMG MORI CO., LTD., reported on the successful finishing of Vendée Globe2020-2021 and the new goals of the TEAM.

6 days after the start of Vendée Globe2020-2021, the mainsail of DMG MORI Global One, the yacht of the TEAM, was severely damaged. However, Mr. Shiraishi repaired it alone and continued the race. Finally, he became the first Asian to complete the solo, non-stop, round-the-world race without assistance, also known as the Everest of the Seas. He was ranked 16^th out of 33 participants.

During the round-the-world race, Mr. Shiraishi collected ocean microplastic samples at a total of 6 locations in the Northern/Southern Hemispheres. For researchers, it was a valuable opportunity to take samples from locations where commercial and research vessels could barely access. During the press conference, Mr. Shiraishi handed over the collected samples to Dr. Katsunori Fujikura, Director of The Marine Biodiversity and Environmental Assessment Research Center, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC). JAMSTEC will use these samples for future researches.

The TEAM announced 3 new goals in the press conference:

The TEAM will challenge Vendée Globe2024 with Mr. Shiraishi as the skipper.
The TEAM will expand sailing culture in Japan.
The TEAM will develop young skippers and engineers.

DMG MORI SAILING TEAM – KOJIRO SHIRAISHI – Vendée Globe2020 Press Conference

The TEAM will once again challenge Vendée Globe2024 with Mr. Shiraishi as the skipper. The goal is to finish the race at 8^th place or higher. The TEAM will keep and upgrade the yacht built for Vendée Globe2020, DMG MORI Global One, and join the preliminary races from 2022.
The TEAM will expand sailing culture in Japan to make yachts and sailing more popular like in Europe and the United States. To this end, we will bring DMG MORI Global One to Japan this summer and host special events at 3 ports. The planned locations are in Yokohama, Aichi, and Kobe. We will invite the TEAM’s sponsors, media, yacht/sailing lovers, as well as local children and their families, for a first-hand sailing experience and a tour inside the yacht. The TEAM also plans to participate in several races in Japan.
The TEAM will start initiatives to develop young oceanic skippers, shore crews, and engineers. We will install “Mini 6.50,” a 6.5-meter entry-level yacht for young professional sailors, at the TEAM’s operation bases in France and Japan. This small-sized, affordable ship is one of the most popular racing models around the world. In fact, many of the top sailors at the Vendée Globe, the race of IMOCA (18.28 m long), started their careers from Mini 6.50.

Your continuous support to DMG MORI SAILING TEAM is greatly appreciated.

For further information:

・Official website of JAMSTEC: http://www.jamstec.go.jp/e/

・JAMSTEC’s Challenges Against Marine Plastic Pollution (webpage) : http://www.jamstec.go.jp/ocean-plastic/e/

・Public Relations Section of JAMSTEC for inquiries about the research: press@jamstec.go.jp