Ocean yacht racing is a type of yacht race in which participants compete over long distances for several weeks while living on board.

Kojiro Shiraishi is famous as the leading Japanese ocean yacht sailor.

In double-handed racing, there are two crew members. They take turns steering the boat with short breaks for sleep. They must help each other in any sea conditions. Division of roles is very important, and mutual trust is essential.

The Melbourne-Osaka Double-handed Yacht Race, which we will be taking on this time, was first held in 1987 to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the opening of Osaka Port and the sister city and port relationship between Melbourne and Osaka. It is an international yacht race that has been held a total of eight times, including the last one in 2018.

The race will start in Melbourne, Australia and end in Osaka, sailing double-handed across the Pacific Ocean for a distance of approximately 10,200 km (5,500 miles).

This race is a Category 1 race, and the requirements for boats and crew are very strict, so the hurdles to participating are quite high. Not only do they have to renew their medical and sea survival qualifications and obtain communication-related qualifications, but they also have to meet the participation requirements for a safe long-distance voyage and go through all the procedures to prove it. You could say that the race has already begun from the preparation stage.