Historic Challenge Overview

The 28-foot Bristol Channel Cutter yacht will navigate from San Diego to Amakusa, covering approximately 5,500 nautical miles

To support Hiro's monumental challenge, FURUNO will provide marine radar, GPS positioning systems, and other navigation equipment to be installed on the 28-foot small yacht "Bristol Channel Cutter." Additionally, in collaboration with our subsidiary FURUNO SOFTECH, we are developing a voice mobile application. This app is designed to provide Hiro with essential navigation information through audio, including wind speed, wind direction, boat speed, and heading, enabling him to understand sea conditions without relying on vision.

This initiative embodies our business theme of "making the invisible visible," aiming to become Hiro's trusted companion throughout his challenge. The app has been named "Leena" after Hiro's daughter.

Navigation Technology Supporting Vision

FURUNO's marine technology serves as "Hiro's additional eyesight" for crossing the invisible sea:

① Sailing Support

Through our custom-developed app and onboard Wi-Fi, navigation instrument data is converted to real-time audio for Hiro:

• Wind speed, wind direction, and heading information
• Position and course data
• Alarm notifications for significant changes in wind or course
• High-sensitivity thermal camera integration

• AIS (Automatic Identification System): Mutual exchange of vessel information between other ships and own vessel
• Marine radar: Serves as Hiro's physical eyes, allowing him to activate radar and confirm presence or absence of obstacles
• In case of collision risk, danger avoidance through alarms and other vessel information

Adventurer Profile

Mitsuhiro Iwamoto (Hiro)

World's First Blind Ocean Adventurer / Tough Mental Trainer

Born December 27, 1966, in Amakusa, Kumamoto Prefecture

Despite losing his sight at age 16, Hiro transformed his mindset from seeking "reasons why something can't be done" to finding "ways to make it possible," becoming a challenger who has carved out his own path in life. In 2019, he achieved a non-stop Pacific crossing by yacht together with Douglas Smith, garnering worldwide attention as an unprecedented challenge by a blind sailor.

Currently, he conducts lectures and training programs for companies and organizations both domestically and internationally, focusing on building resilient organizations, developing unbreakable spirits, and thought processes that generate action. Based on "the essence visible precisely because one cannot see" derived from extreme sailing experiences, he continues to draw out the inherent potential of people and organizations.

Challenge Timeline

Hiro will begin training in spring 2026, conducting repeated shakedown cruises while preparing for the Pacific crossing. He is scheduled to depart from San Diego, California in February 2027, aiming for his hometown of Amakusa, Kumamoto Prefecture.