Ryuichi Kitajima, a 2nd-year master’s student in Information and Communications Engineering, and Tatsuhiko Ido, an alumnus of the Department of Mathematics, have won the 33rd Tasar West Japan championships held in Osaka Bay on July 10.
Kitajima (left) and Ido after victory
After a practice session on Saturday, the 13 pairs racing on Sunday were blessed with steady winds through the three separate races on competition day. The overall winner was decided based on total performance in the three races. Kitajima and Ido, who were in second position after Race 2, won the last race to claim overall victory.
Both Kitajima and Ido only began sailing Tasar sailboats after retiring from the Tokyo Tech Sailing Team. They took fourth place at the 2021 Tasar Japan championships last October, after which master’s student Kitajima has been squeezing in practice sessions between his research activities, allowing him to further enhance his Tasar sailing skills and ability to read the wind. This victory is the first for both Kitajima and Ido in the Tasar class.
Comments from Ryuichi Kitajima
I have been very busy with my studies and job-hunting activities this year, and I have not been able to focus fully on sailing. However, with the support of my sailing pair Tatsuhiko Ido and many other people, I was able to achieve victory in this championship. I would like to take this opportunity to express my thanks to all these people. Sailing is a lifelong sport, but I feel that there are various aspects that make it difficult to start and continue this activity. I hope I can encourage people to enjoy sailing and to provide opportunities for those who are interested to get on board. As for my studies, I will continue to work hard to achieve results in my current field of research.
