St. Francis Xavier Expedition 2006

The journey:

The aim of this unique maritime expedition is to cross all the way from Sancian Island (southern China) to Tokyo; aboard a personal watercraft (PWC or water-scooter) and achieve the first China-Japan crossing on a water-scooter, ever to be accomplished.

The sailor is the only sportsman who managed to cross the Atlantic ocean on such kind of vessel - www.ocean2002.com

Expedition objectives:

1. To commemorate the Fifth hundredth anniversary of the birth of St.Francis Xavier (Francisco de Jaso y Azpilicueta). Alvaro de Marichalar is a direct descendant of Saint Francis Xavier's family (please visit: http://www.atlantik2001.com/china_japon/arboles.pdf)

2. To follow in the steps of St.Francis Xavier, visiting Chinese and Japanese venues connected with Xavier.

3. To make people aware of the need to preserve and protect our seas and nature.

4. To promote healthy life and sports, against drugs and alcohol abuse (since 1982, the sailor always follows this philosophy)

5. To spread ideals of peace and tolerance among people and countries.

6. To promote fair play in sports.

7. To help a charity institution.

8. To film the Chinese and Japanese coastlines in order to produce an expedition documentary for The National Geographic Channel (and other TV channels) The film will be distributed worldwide.

9. To achieve a new word record: The smallest boat in navigation History, ever to sail from Southern China, to Japan...

Additional info: www.oceanplanet.ws

Stages:

Sancian island - Macao - Hong Kong - Taiwan - Kagoshima - Hirado - Yamaguchi - Tokyo

The maritime expedition started in the Chinese island of Sancian, (Shangchuan) on April 7, 2006; exactly 500 years after Saint Francis Xavier was born in Navarra, Spain (April 7, 1506). The reason to start in Sancian was because the Spanish Saint died on this Chinese island.

The sportsman will navigate alone. However, at some stages a TV crew and/or technical team will be needed aboard a support vessel. Specially on the stage Hong Kong - Taiwan since the range of the sailor's tiny vessel is just 150 nautical miles (280km) and there are not ports of call when sailing strait to Taiwan.

Dates: from April, 7 to June, 2006

Navigation: Average navigation time per stage is 12 hours. The sportsman always (100% of the time) navigates standing up, in order to avoid spinal problems.

First stage: Sancian island – Macao – Hong Kong: completed in April 2006 Distance: 70 nm

Second stage: Hong Kong – Penghu island (Taiwan) Distance: 340 nm

Third stage: Penghu island – Jilong (keelung) Distance: 190 nm

Forth stage: Keelung - Su'ao



Japanese stages and dates:

5th stage: Su'ao - Ishigaki

6th stage: Ishigaki - Miyako (Hirara) 29th of May 70nm

7th stage Miyako (Hirara) - Kume 30th of May 126nm

8th stage Kume - Naha (Ginowan) 31st of June 56nm

9th stage: Naha (Ginowan) - Okinoerabu (Wadomari) 1st of June 90nm

10th stage: Okinoerabu (Wadomari) - Amamiooshima (Naze) 2nd of June 85nm

11th stage: Amamiooshima (Naze) - Nakano Is. 3d of June 90nm

12th stage: Nakano Is. - Tanegashima (Nishinoura Port) 4th of June 87nm

13th stage: Tanegashima (Nishinoura Port) - Kagoshima (Hirakawa Port) 5th of June 62nm



VISIT TO KAGOSHIMA: 6th of June

14th stage: Kagoshima (Hirakawa Port) - Kosiki jima (Nagahama) 7th of June 89nm

15th stage: Kosiki jima (Nagahama) - Nagasaki 8th of June 68nm

16th stage: Nagasaki - Hirado 9th of June 50nm

17th stage: Hirado - Ube 10th of June 101nm



Visit to Yamaguchi 11th June

18th stage: Ube - Imabari 12th of JUne 102nm

19th stage: Imabari - Himeji - Kobe (Shinnisinomiya) - Osaka (Osaka Kitakou Y.H.) 13th of June 137nm

Visit to Kioto 14th June



20th stage: Osaka (Osaka kitakou Y.H) - Kushimoto 15th of June 105nm

21th stage: Kushimoto - Toba 16th of June 91nm

22th stage: Toba - Simoda 17th of June 108nm

23d stage: Simoda - Yokohama 18th of June 71nm

24th stage: Yokohama - TOKYO 19th of June at 12.00hrs 21nm

TOKYO Port of arrival: Near the Tokyo Bay port at Hamarikyu.




Master Name : Alvaro de Marichalar

Nationality : Spanish

Passport No.

Sailor's license number: 065

Issue Authority: RFEM (issued in Madrid, Spain on the 01.04.2006)

HongKong Adress: 108 Mac Donnell Rd. Tel : +852 9574 5149

Web : www.oceanplanet.ws


Particulars of Alvaro's vessel:

Name of vessel: NUMANCIA

Country of Registration: Kingdom of Spain. EUROPE

Port of Registry: Tarragona, Spain

Registration No: 7-TA 82-04

Type of vessel: personal watercraft

Colour: yellow/black

Length of vessel: 3.0m

Breadth: 1.0m

Engine Speed: 50 Knots (max.) 20 Knots (cruising)

Fuel capacity: 120 liters (60+60)

Range: 150 nautical miles

Type of engine: inboard / petrol

Engine No: ZZN44602C404

Power: 215 BHP

Make of vessel: BOMBARDIER

Model: SEADOO RXP (Made in Canada)

Date of first license: 20 Aug 2004

Safety Equipment: EPIRB: Yes (2) RADIO: Yes GPS: Yes (2) FLARES: Yes (6)

Saint Francis Xavier



The sailor: main expeditions achieved on the last 24 years

2006 Sri Lanka XAVIER´2006 Expedition Solo sailing along the SRI LANKA Coastline (on the first anniversary of the December´2004 Tsunami)
2005 Solo crossing, Formentera-BARCELONA --- ODESSA (Ukraine) World record
2004 Solo crossing: San Sebastián - Galicia Camino de Santiago marítimo
2003 Solo crossing: MOSCOW - SAINT PETERSBOURG (Russia)
2003 Solo crossing: PARIS - ENGLAND (First Paris-London crossing on a water scooter) WORLD RECORD Guinness World Records
2002 Atlantic Ocean solo crossing ROMA - NEW YORK Expedition Distancia: 10.000 Millas Náuticas WORLD RECORD Certificado por Guinness World Records
2001 Training for the Atlantic ocean crossing
2000 Solo crossing of the PANAMÁ Canal (Puerto Colón - Isla de Contadora)
1999 Solo crossing: MALLORCA - CERDEÑA - MALLORCA Puerto Portals - Porto Cervo - Puerto Portals Distancia: 820 Millas Náuticas Porto Cervo - Puerto Portals: 410 Millas Náuticas sin escalas WORLD RECORD OF DISTANCE WITHOUT STAGES Tramo: Mahón - Alghero: 200 Millas sin tocar costa WORLD RECORD OF DISTANCE AT OPEN SEA
1998 Solo crossing: ISLAS CANARIAS - BILBAO Isla de la Palma - Bilbao. Distancia: 2.200 Millas Náuticas WORLD RECORD of maximum navigated distance. (Tramo: Canarias - Santander)
1997 Solo crossing: CEUTA - MALLORCA Travesía: MALLORCA - IBIZA - FORMENTERA - MALLORCA II VUELTA A MALLORCA (1º clasificado en su categoría. 2º General)
1996 Strait of Gibraltar solo crossing I VUELTA A MALLORCA (Primer clasificado)
1995 First strait of Gibraltar solo crossing Sotogrande - Ceuta - Sotogrande
1994 Crossing: San Sebastián - Islas Baleares - Cadaqués (Vuelta a España y Portugal en conmemoración del 500 aniversario del Tratado de Tordesillas) Distancia: 2.000 Millas Náuticas WORLD RECORD
1993 Solo crossing: Sevilla - Génova Distancia: 1.350 Millas Náuticas WORLD RECORD
1992 Solo crossing: Ibiza - Mallorca WORLD RECORD OF DISTANCE AT OPEN SEA
Between 1991 y 1982 Islas V St. Croix - St. Thomas; 9 vueltas en solitario a Mallorca; 4 vueltas en solitario a Ibiza; 2 vueltas en solitario a Menorca; 2 travesías Biarriz - San Sebastián - Bilbao; Travesías en aguas de Melilla.
Alvaro's sponsors:

Audemars Piguet : http://www.audemarspiguet.com/en/sponsoring/index.html

UBS : Swiss bank : http://www.ubs.com/1/g/index.html

OREGON Scientific : http://www.oregonscientific.com/eng

Sunseeker : http://www.sunseeker.com

Smooth Marine : Jetski maintenance in Hong Kong

Canarias : Canary Islands Board of Tourism

Air Europa : Spanish airline

Llanera inmobiliaria: Spanish property company

Harmont&Blane: Italian clothing brand

Collaborating Institution: Casa Asia www.casaasia.es

To complete the second stage of the expedition, from Hong Kong to Taiwan, the assistance of a supporting boat is needed, to carry fuel (since the fuel Alvaro's vessel needs to complete the journey from Hong Kong to Penghu island (Taiwan) is: 280 liters)