ASAF Sailing Cup #3 and Enoshima Olympic Week started today with the registration and sail stamping. More than 180 boats from 16 countries are participating in this event. The Opening ceremony was held today evening, followed by the sailors & coaches briefing.
Officials from Denmark, Ireland and Australia are around to check Enoshima’s condition for racing, especially since Enoshima is the venue for 2020 Olympic sailing competition.
The coach boat driver needs Japanese Boat Driving Licence under the law, and coach boats need to be registered and examined. However, from October, there are some special arrangements with Maritime Beauro, and special rules are apply within the Olympic venue area on the water. 32 coaches now have the Operator Card, and 7 Ribs were registered so that they can get on the water by themselves. We hope to stay with this rule until the end of the Olympic Game.
Inside the main building, it looks as if we are in the middle of foreign country. Youth sailors are puzzled and excited. Soon they will realize this continue till 2020 each summer. EOW suddenly becomes valuable opportunity for young sailors to sail with Gold Medalist. It is also the ASAF Sailing Cup, so good first step to become international sailor without traveling to the other country.
Good N / NE wind is excepted. It is the autumn – not the same condition from the summer. Very much cooler and gusty and shifty wind from land. Doesn’t matter to the sailors.
Racing starts tomorrow.
For upto date results please visit www.jeow.org