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BEIJING/LOS ANGELES — Chinese sailor Guo Chuan went missing after being thrown into the water by high winds or a rocking boat during his trans-Pacific sailing, Guo's support team said on Thursday.
The team said he was suspected to have fallen in the water between 15:15 and 15:30 Tuesday Beijing time.
Our deepest condolences go out not only to his family and friends but also to his racing team and the sailing community
Capt. Robert Hendrickson, US Coast Guard
The US Coast Guard has suspended its search for Guo, who was attempting to set a solo-sailing record for sailing from San Fransico to Shanghai in 20 days or less.
In a statement Wednesday night, the Coast Guard said a crew from the USS Makin Island went aboard Guo Chuan's trimaran about 620 miles northwest of Oahu and only found Guo's life jacket.
Guo "was a professional mariner with a deep passion for sailing. Our thanks to our Navy partners who helped us search for this vessel in a timely manner so far from shore in an attempt to locate Mr. (Guo) Chuan. Our deepest condolences go out not only to his family and friends but also to his racing team and the sailing community," said Capt. Robert Hendrickson, who directed the Coast Guard's search.
Guo's sailboat, the Quindao China, is adrift, and its main sail has been taken down, the Coast Guard said. The Coast Guard says it issued a broadcast to mariners in the area warning them of the drifting boat.
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| Chinese skipper Guo Chuan poses aboard his "Qingdao China" multihull on Aug 8, 2015 in France . (AFP PHOTO / JEAN-SEBASTIEN EVRARD) |
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| This Aug 8, 2015 photo shows Chinese skipper Guo Chuan posing aboard his "Qingdao China" multihull in La Trinité-sur-Mer, western France. (Jean-Sebastien Evrard / AFP) |
READ MORE: Worried Chinese pray for safe return of legendary captain Guo Chuan
Guo's racing team plans to cover the sailboat, the Coast Guard said.
The Coast Guard located his 97-foot trimaran on Tuesday about 600 miles northwest of Oahu.
Guo was the first Chinese person to sail around the world in 2013, according to his website, guochaunracing.com.
Marine and navigation experts on Guo's team blamed Guo's disappearance on the jib, a triangular staysail that sets ahead of the foremast of a sailing vessel, which was seen broken from the ship and floating on the water.
Following a research of videos, photos and phone transcripts from rescuers, the experts agreed on two scenarios that led to Guo's disappearance.
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| This photo provided by the US Coast Guard shows a trimaran that the US Coast Guard has located in Hawaii on Oct 25, 2016. Guo Chuan, a Chinese man attempting to set a sailing record from San Francisco to Shanghai, has been reported missing from the yacht. (US Coast Guard/Air Station Barbers Point via AP) |
When Guo tried to lower the jib against high winds, a difficult task for a solo sailor, the jib suddenly fell. Guo tried to prevent the sail from dropping into the water while standing at the narrow head of the ship. The ship rocked and Guo fell.
The second scenario could happen when Guo dealt with an accidental fall of the jib. Guo unknotted the harness for wider movement on the ship to drag the jib onboard, which got heavier after getting wet. A heavy wave could have thrown the sailor off board.
An expert on Guo's team said it was difficult for a solo trimaran sailor to lower a jib or drag a soaked sail from the water.
In any of two cases, the sailor has to untie his harness to complete the job, he said.
Guo left San Francisco on Oct 18 to challenge the solo nonstop trans-Pacific world record. The current speed record for that journey is 21 days.
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| Chinese sailor Guo Chuan sets off his world sailing from Qingdao, Shandong province, in this Nov 18, 2012 file photo. ( Photo by Xu Chongde / Asianewsphoto) |
