From August 31 to September 1, the Okayama University Yacht Club participated in the "74th Chugoku Student Yacht Championship" held at Kannon Marina in Hiroshima Prefecture, successfully earning the right to compete in the "All-Japan Student Yacht Championship" in the Snipe class! This marks the club's return to the All-Japan Intercollegiate Championships after three years.

The competition featured two classes: the 470 class and the Snipe class, with each university fielding three boats in a team event. A total of eight boats from three universities competed in the 470 class, while twelve boats from four universities participated in the Snipe class. Okayama University was represented in the 470 class by MIYAMOTO Yusuke (3rd year, School of Science), NAKAO Goh (3rd year, Faculty of Law), FUJIMOTO Haruki (4th year, Faculty of Law), MITAMURA Kohki (3rd year, School of Engineering), HAMADA Kanaru (3rd year, Faculty of Law), SAITO Kaho (3rd year, School of Engineering), and NAKAO Yuta (4th year, School of Economics). In the Snipe class, the participants were IWAGUCHI Atsushi (4th year, Scool of Science), KIYOTO Sora (3rd year, School of Engineering), YAMASHITA Kio (3rd year, School of Engineering), IHA Haruka (3rd year, Faculty of Law), IMADA Rina (3rd year, School of Engineering), SAITO Minori (4th year, School of Letters), and NATSUNO Ryosuke (3rd year, School of Engineering). Both classes achieved a remarkable second place.

Following the results, team captain Fujimoto stated, "This is Okayama University’s first appearance in the All-Japan Intercollegiate Championships in three years. Thanks to the support of our alumni, coaches, and marina staff, we were able to seize this opportunity. I hope all participating athletes will give their best, filled with gratitude." Snipe team leader Iwaguchi added, "We set our sights on winning this competition and have been working hard for the past year. The Snipe team came close to Hiroshima University, finishing just three points behind, but we achieved a frustrating second place. In the All-Japan Intercollegiate Championships, we will use this disappointment as motivation and aim for a top-10 finish. We appreciate your continued support."

The Okayama University Yacht Club will compete in the Snipe class at the All-Japan Student Yacht Championship, taking place on October 30 at Enoshima Yacht Harbor in Kanagawa Prefecture. We look forward to their performance in this nationwide competition after three years!

Note:
470 Class: A boat using three sails, emphasizing speed.
Snipe Class: A boat using two sails, emphasizing tactics.