Tokyo Tech News
Tokyo Tech News
Three pairs from the Titech Sailing Team, an official student club, will be competing at the 28th All Japan Women's Student Sailing Championships, to be held at Kaiyo Yacht Harbor in Gamagori City, Aichi Prefecture from September 20 to 23, 2019.
The results were confirmed after outstanding performances in the Snipe1 and 4702 classes at the Kanto regional qualifiers at Enoshima Yacht Harbor in Kanagawa Prefecture. At the Snipe competition on May 25 and 26, 4th-year students Ami Kawai and Nami Tsuda and 3rd-year students Shione Hagiuda and Hinako Horikoshi advanced to the finals. Two weeks later, 3rd-year students Misako Sato and Chihiro Inaba advanced to the finals in the 470 class.
This will be the first all-Japan final for the 3rd-year pairs. Kawai and Tsuda had their first finals experience last year.
Kawai and Tsuda (far right)
This will be our last chance to prove ourselves at the all-Japan championships. Last year we finished in 15th place, a result that left us both vexed. We have been practicing hard for the past year in the hopes that we finish on the podium this September. We have been able to sail the seas thanks to everyone's support, not least the alumni,3 and we will give it our all at the championships.
Hagiuda and Horikoshi
This will be our first time at the all-Japan championships. The waters in Gamagori are unknown to us, but we will be sure to enjoy the race and will do our best to produce a good result.
In academics, we acquire various types of knowledge through independent thinking and trial and error, and in many ways we can also apply this approach to sailing. We will accumulate experience through our daily efforts, and will do our best to reflect that in our results. We look forward to your continued support and encouragement.
Sato and Inaba
This will be our first all-Japan competition, and we are looking forward to competing in a new environment. At the recent regional race, which was a valuable learning experience, we realized the importance of preparation, much like with academics. There were races during the qualification that did not go well, but we aim to improve our form in the finals. We look forward to your continued support.
The Titech 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 five 470-class dinghies and five Snipes, as well as two 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 470 (four-seventy), so named due to its 4.7-meter length, is a sailboat designed to plane easily. Sailing the boat efficiently requires strong teamwork from its two members. Designed in 1963 by Frenchman André Cornu, the 470 has been an Olympic sailing class since 1976.
The Snipe is a 4.72-meter sailboat designed by William F. Crosby in 1931. It was originally intended as a boat that can be rigged and launched in a short time, and has maintained its position as one of the most popular two-person racing sailboats since its creation.
The Kuramae Ushio Association (Japanese) 
is a 400-member group of alumni supporting the Titech Sailing Team. Their motto is "developing full-fledged sailors, full-fledged members of society."
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