Tokyo Tech Teams Reach All Japan Women's Sailing Finals

Four pairs from the Tokyo Tech Sailing Team, an official student club, have advanced to the 32nd All Japan Women's Student Sailing Championships, to be held off the coast of Hayama Town in Kanagawa Prefecture from September 20 to 23. This is Tokyo Tech's second straight year in the finals in both the Snipe¹ and 470² classes.

At the Kanto regional qualifiers at Enoshima Yacht Harbor in Kanagawa Prefecture on June 29 and 30, Miho Yako and Saki Kobayakawa finished third, while Yu Endo and Haruna Suzuki finished eleventh out of twenty boats in the Snipe race. In the 470 class, Yui Ito and Manami Sasazawa finished 15th, while Rina Yamada and Kanna Goto finished 17th out of 23 boats. These results mean that all eight female sailors will be going to the finals in September.

Comments from Yako-Kobayakawa pair

This will be our second time in the all-Japan finals. Now that we are 4th-year students and members of a lab, we spend our time questioning and deeply examining issues. Likewise in sailing, we aim for even greater heights by trial and error to discover the best way to sail against the forces of nature. This year's competition will be the last of its kind for us, so we will aim for a great result that will be the culmination of our efforts to date. A warm thank-you to everyone for their support.

Kobayakawa (left) and Yako

Comments from Endo-Suzuki pair

This will be our first time in the All Japan Women's Student Sailing Championships. Just as basic knowledge is important in academics, basic movements are very important in sailing. We will strive to perform to the best of our ability while staying true to the basics and keeping in mind the support that we have received from so many people around us. Thank you for your support.

Suzuki (left) and Endo

Comments from Ito-Sasazawa pair

We utilize the wind and the waves in sailing, so knowledge of meteorology, fluid dynamics, and other fields is sometimes necessary. By practicing and sharing knowledge together, we were able to pass the qualifiers again this year and advance to the finals for the second time. We still have a lot of work to do, but we will do our best to show everyone that we have developed over the past year. Thank you for your continued support.

Sasazawa (left) and Ito

Comments from Yamada-Goto pair

This will be our first time competing in the all-Japan women's finals. We have been practicing hard, discussing questions together, and seeking solutions to problems as they arise, just as we do in our academic endeavors. We will continue to conquer sailing with all our might and do our best to achieve the best possible results in the nationwide competition. From the bottom of our hearts, we would like to thank all those who have been supporting and cheering for us.

Yamada (front) and Goto

Competitive sailing is a sport that requires a high level of strategy and tactics, such as reading the constantly changing winds and tides, and deciding on the best course for the boat while maintaining speed. In a race, participating boats start at the same time, sail around buoys in the prescribed order a specific number of times, and compete to cross the finish line first. At the All Japan Women's Student Sailing Championships, sailors compete in two classes — the Snipe class and the 470 class.

Snipe-class dinghies use two sails — a mainsail and a jib. Speed can be hard to come by, so sailors must utilize the wind skillfully while maneuvering strategically in relation to the other boats. Sailors lean over the edge of the boat to achieve balance while holding on to a belt with their feet.

In addition to a main sail and a jib, 470-class dinghies also use a spinnaker sail. This gives the boat more speed than a Snipe-class dinghy, but also makes balancing more difficult. To prevent the boat from capsizing, "trapeze" wires are attached to the boat, allowing sailors to hang outside the vessel with their feet on the edge of the dinghy.

The Tokyo Tech Sailing Team is a group of ocean-loving sailors who polish their seafaring skills off the Hayama coast in Kanagawa Prefecture. The team has access to 470-class dinghies and Snipes, as well as rescue motorboats in case the seas get rough. Members often head to the seaside on Saturday morning and only return to Tokyo on Sunday evening.

The Kuramae Ushio Association, an alumni association boasting 400 members who used to sail at Tokyo Tech, fully supports the activities of the current club members. Their motto is "developing full-fledged sailors, full-fledged members of society."