Guo Chuan, 44, will be the only Chinese who returns home for the weeklong Spring Festival holiday on a racing boat. On January 18, Guo will board the Green Dragon, one of the seven racing boats in the ongoing Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009 (VOR), heading for Qingdao, a coastal city in east China's Shandong Province, from Singapore. The scheduled time for his arrival is January 28, the third day of the Year of Ox.

The race, which started on October 11, 2008 in Alicante, Spain, has so far had three stopovers--Cape Town, South Africa; Cochin, India; and Singapore--in 74 days. Qingdao will be the fourth.

"Qingdao is my hometown. We'll stay there for about two weeks before heading for Rio de Janeiro," said Guo, the first Chinese to participate in the event. "This is the first time a Chinese city has been selected as a stopover in the VOR's 35-year history. I am truly proud.

"I expected a lot upon boarding and dreamed of going home as early as possible," he added. "It is hard to describe my feelings at the moment as we are approaching Qingdao."

Once in a lifetime

Guo Chuan, the first and only Chinese in the Volvo Ocean Race, onboard the Green Dragon racing boat as a media crewmember (COURTESY OF WANG DELU)

In fact, Guo's participation in the event was by accident. "Last summer, I was informed that the Green Dragon, jointly presented by Ireland and China, was recruiting a media crew for the VOR," Guo told Beijing Review. "I was excited because it had been my longtime dream to participate in the 10-month-long sailing marathon."

Guo immediately emailed a personal statement to Ian Walker, the boat's skipper, and was given a chance for trial training in Ireland a few days later. Fortunately, he passed the tests and stayed aboard.

The media crew, according to Guo, is responsible for covering life onboard during the race. He had uploaded 51 diaries and 78 photos to the Internet as of December 23, the day they arrived in Singapore.

"Waves, jolt, swing, humid and wet clothes, extreme temperatures--my working environment was much harder than I could tell," he said.

"This was a challenge for me, but just a small one; the biggest was how to become part of the team," said Guo, the only crewmember from a non-English speaking country.

"All my fellow crewmembers are professional sailors with impressive career records that include world championship titles, American Cup and VOR championships, and Olympic medals. I was the last to join the team and I felt like an outsider at first. Since the race started, we've talked about work and life, and sometimes made fun of one another; we've worked together to struggle through storms. I felt that I was part of the team and we became closer," he continued.

"I've gained a lot from this race, which has enriched my experiences in both sailing and life," he added.

An amateur turned captain

Becoming a scientist was the goal that Guo set in his childhood. After completing a master's degree in aircraft control at Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and an MBA at Peking University, he worked on commercial satellite launch projects at China Great Wall Industry Corporation.

Guo's connection with sailing did not start until 1996, when he boarded a 40-foot keelboat with a friend in Hong Kong. "I set sail and controlled the helm for the first time. It was amazing," Guo recalled. "I found a new direction at the age of 33, which was not too old."

Guo has participated in more than 10 events in his 12-year career, sailing 16,000 nautical miles; he promoted the sport by sailing from China's Qingdao to Japan's Shimonoseki as part of an Olympic goodwill ambassador visit. Moreover, he has made history in creating "firsts": the first Chinese to participate in the Mini Transat sailing event and the Clipper Round the World Race; the first Olympic torchbearer to pass the torch by sailboat during the Qingdao leg; and the first Chinese to cross the English Channel on a solo sailboat.

Guo had planned to train along the Chinese coast from March to June, then participate in the Mini Transat race across the Atlantic Ocean from September to November. But his plans have changed now that he is in the VOR.

"The event is held every three years, and it would definitely become harder for me as I get older. I feel no regret over my decision because it will probably be a once-in-a-lifetime chance," Guo said. "I'm realizing my dream every day, even though the voyage is only one third finished and uncertain elements like weather and boat conditions might await us."

The scheduled arrival time is the third day of the Chinese lunar New Year, an occasion for family reunions. Guo said he has not thought about how to celebrate.

"The activities have varied among the stopovers, but I'm sure that Qingdao will do a wonderful job. It will be impressive and interesting for foreign sailors to celebrate the Chinese lunar New Year in a Chinese city," he said.

Guo said he would resume training after finishing the VOR in June, if he is in good physical condition, and try to participate in next year's Mini Transat. His other hobbies include paragliding, skiing and diving.

"The only reason for my participation in outdoor sports is love; I just like it. It will bring me a sense of achievement if I can share the experience and joy with people after events," Guo said. "I'm 44 years old, and it will become a problem. Sometimes I think that I might have better results if I were 33 or even younger.

For now, Guo is focused on finishing the VOR.

"I hope I could lead an easier life if I did not set sail one day," he said. "China has witnessed rapid development in sailing in recent years, and I hope my connections with the sport will become closer."

About the Volvo Ocean Race

Established in 1973, the Volvo Ocean Race is considered to be one of the biggest sailing events on the planet. Its predecessor was the Whitbread Round the World Race. The sailing marathon was previously held every four years, lasting for nine months across 39,000 nautical miles and visiting up to 12 countries and ports. The whole race goes through several severe oceanic and climactic extremes, which pose a huge challenge to all competitors in terms of technology, as well as physical and mental endurance. The interval period between races has been shortened to three years since the 2005-2006 race.