“YANMAR Moth World Championship 2016” kicked off
Sir Russell Coutts attending official press conference
YANMAR Moth World Championships 2016, held from May 23rd to May 29th, kicked off at Hayama, JAPAN. It’s been 15 years since Moth Worlds was held in Japan and this is the first time it’s being held in Hayama JAPAN.
International Moth Class is a high technology sailing dinghy with hydrofoil can reach even 65km/h. With its unforgettable and unique sense of speed, this is a popular sport that has captured the interest of lots of sailors of any sex and age, from juniors to veterans – the youngest is the 16 years old Anna Yamazaki, the oldest is the 72 years old Motohiro Furuya. A total of 69 sailors from 13 different countries/areas will be attending this race.
On the first day, an official press conference, a practice race and an opening ceremony were held.
Mr. Ken Araki from YANMER Inc Chairman of International Moth Class Association Mr. Scott Babbage, Chairman of Japan Moth Class Association Mr. Hiroki Goto and the CEO of Oracle Team USA, current defenders of the America’s Cup, Sir Russell Coutts attended the press conference.
On this occasion, Sir Coutts said: “Moth Class is a sport event quite similar to the modern America’s Cup. They’re both about a high-speed race for hydrofoil-equipped watercrafts, floating above the sea level and they’re both really impressive. If there are any promising talents, I would be interested in recruiting them for Oracle Team USA”.
The opening ceremony started with a powerful Taiko (Japanese Drum) performance and included the prize giving of the Japan National Championship concluded the day before at Riviera Zushi Marina. All women were wearing a Yukata. Foreign female sailors seemed very happy to wear a Yukata for their first time.
The races will start tomorrow. This year we will focus on the rivalry between UK and Australia. But we’re also raising our expectations for our local Japanese sailor’s performances. 3 races are scheduled per day and it will be able to follow tracking system on the website.