Chinese round-the-world sailor to retrace route of historic mariner

HONG KONG (AFP) Jul 23, 2004
The first ethnic Chinese sailor to circumnavigate the globe has set off on another historic journey -- to retrace the route of China's legendary ancient mariner Zheng He, press reports said Friday.

Beijing-born Chinese-American Shaun Yixuan Weng plans to sail from Jiangsu province's Taicang before setting off for North America in his sloop the Albatross, the Hong Kong English-language edition of the official China Daily reported.

The sailor hopes to tack a route via East Africa that Ming Dynasty navigator He is believed to have plotted 600 years ago.

Weng entered the record books in 2002 after a three-year journey around the world in the Albatross.

WAR.WIRE