How can we forget this elegant figure coming down the pontoon of Les Sables d’Olonne four years ago in his dark keikogi, wooden bokken on his belt, a huge smile laden with emotion on his face which is lit up by the pure joy of being there, at the start of his second Vendée Globe?
And how can we forget that 94 days, 21 hours, 32 minutes and 56 seconds later, that megawatt smile was even brighter, his two fists raised towards that torn mainsail that, through nearly all of his race, had threatened his lifelong dream?
But the feat has been accomplished and Kojiro Shiraishi could have stopped back then. But he loves the oceans and their captivating poetry as much as the demanding discipline imposed by the sheer intensity of the competition. This time, it is out of gratitude to all his sponsors and supporters that he wants to do the full circle again, to savor and share his trials and successes, always with his ever present humble humour.
