U.S. Coast Guard photo by Air Station Barbers Point (CG 1720)/Released)
HONOLULU — The Coast Guard is searching for a 50-year-old Chinese man reported overdue while sailing his 97-foot super trimaran from San Francisco to Shanghai, Tuesday.
Missing is Guo Chuan.
An HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point was launched to search for the mariner along with vessels in the area.
Tuesday morning, watchstanders at the Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu received notification from Maritime Rescue Coordination Center China personnel that the vessel Qingdao China, with one person aboard, had not been heard from for 24 hours.
The Qingdao China is actively transmitting on an automatic identification system which showed the vessel's position at the time 620 miles northwest of Oahu.
The mariner is regarded as a very experienced sailor and is reportedly in good health. He is attempting to set a non-stop solo trans-Pacific sailing record from San Francisco to Shanghai. He departed San Fransisco Oct. 18. He had been in constant contact with MRCC China and family on the voyage and is not likely to miss scheduled calls.