Chinese solo sailor Guo Chuan, who was attempting to set a world record by doing a solo trans Pacific voyage in 20 days, set sail from San Francisco on October 18 on his 97ft trimaran. He was trying to break the current world record of 21 days, by sailing to Shanghai in 20.
Yet days later his boat Qingdao China was spotted off 900 nautical miles off the Hawaiian island of Oahu without him aboard.
His support team were last in contact with him on Tuesday 25 October but failed to contact him after that
Immediately the the US Coast Guard began searching the waters but did not find him.
They however find his trimaran, without a mainsail and later found his life jacket.
Fearing the worst they continued searching but now the US Coast Guard have confirmed that search has been called off.
Officers from the US Coastguard cutter USS Mankin Island boarded the yacht at sea to search it but found no one on board. They collected all belongings aboard for the lone sailor’s family.
In 2013 Guo Chuan, already one of China’s most famous sailors in his home country, gained world recognition when he became the first Chinese sailor to circumnavigate the globe without crew.