Tokyo Tech News
Tokyo Tech News
Tokyo Tech pair Ei Okada and Ryotaro Horie finished first in their qualifying round of the 86th Kanto Intercollegiate Student Sailing Competition, earning them a place in the finals in early October. Okada and Horie raced in the Snipe1 class of the competition.
The qualifiers, held on September 28 and 29 at Morito Coast in Hayama, Kanagawa Prefecture, involved 45 pairs from 15 universities in the Kanto region racing in two-person sailing boats. The Titech Sailing Team, Tokyo Tech's official student sailing club, registered three teams for both the Snipe and 4702 classes. Their overall team performance was enough in both classes to ensure progression into the finals.
Tokyo Tech Snipe pair Horie (front) and Okada
Comments from Ei Okada
3rd year, Mechanical Engineering
Last year in this competition, I slowed down the team and we didn't not qualify for the finals. I used that disappointment as a springboard during my practices, and I was able to get my revenge this year. Looking ahead, we aim for even better team results next year.
Comments from Ryotaro Horie
4th year, Mechanical Engineering
I am extremely happy that we achieved this result. Our earnest attempts to go just that little bit faster paid off. I have now raced together with Ei for a year, and really appreciate having him as my pair.
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 group is strongly supported by a 400-member group of alumni whose motto is "developing full-fledged sailors, full-fledged members of society."
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 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.
© Tokyo Institute of Technology. All rights reserved.
