Minoru Saito

Minoru Saitō (斉藤 実^?, born January 7, 1934) is a Japanese solo yachtsman and one of the most notable veteran ocean sailboat racers in the world. He became the oldest person at age 77 to do a solo circumnavigation of the globe. He has successfully made eight solo circumnavigations.

On October 16, 2004 Saitō left Japan on his yacht Shuten-dohji II (named after Shuten-dōji, a mythical demon who lived in the 10th century; it is also literally translated in English as "Drunkard's Child," and sometimes jokingly westernized by other sailors as "Shoot Your Doggy") and returned 233 days later to complete his 7th circumnavigation, non-stop. He finished his 8th solo circumnavigation, this time the "wrong way around," on September 17, 2011, after 1,080 days. He was 77 years old on completion.

Saitō was born in Asakusa, Tokyo.

He has participated three times in the most prestigious and grueling race in the sailing world, the single-handed, around-the-globe competition originally called the BOC Challenge, then Around Alone, and renamed the Velux 5 Oceans Race which commenced in 2006. The races are run in legs, with stop-overs for rest and repair in several countries along the way.

In his continuing career, Saitō has become the most experienced blue-water yachtsman from Japan with transoceanic voyages totaling more than 265,000 nautical miles (491,000 km) — almost exactly the distance to the moon. He has started and finished eight solo circumnavigations of the Earth, the seventh one non-stop, achieving several international honors and world records.

Saitō is quite well known among American, European and Australian sailing enthusiasts, and increasingly so in Japan as his international renown becomes better appreciated in his home country.

In January, 2007, Saitō was named the recipient of the highly vaunted 2006 Blue Water Medal awarded to one outstanding sailor each year by the Cruising Club of America. This recognition is considered the top international award for adventure sailing.

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