Kyotei
Encyclopedia
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Boat racing
-Types:* Canoe racing, competitive forms of canoeing and kayaking* Drag boat racing, a form of drag racing which takes place on water rather than land* Dragon boat racing, a type of human-powered watercraft racing...
" and referred to as BOAT RACE, is a hydroplane racing
Hydroplane racing
Hydroplane racing is a sport involving racing hydroplanes on lakes and rivers. It is a popular spectator sport in several countries.-International Professional Outboard Hydroplane Racing:...
event primary held in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It is one of Japan's four , which are sports events where parimutuel betting
Parimutuel betting
Parimutuel betting is a betting system in which all bets of a particular type are placed together in a pool; taxes and the "house-take" or "vig" is removed, and payoff odds are calculated by sharing the pool among all winning bets...
is legal.
Kyōtei was introduced in Japan in 1952. In April 2010, to promote the sport to a wide variety of people as well as internationally, the Kyotei Promotion Association began referring to the sport as BOAT RACE, and the organization itself has been renamed the BOAT RACE Promotion Association. Accordingly, all of Japan's 24 kyōtei courses now refer to themselves as BOAT RACE courses.
Kyōtei Races
A Kyōtei race is conducted on man-made lakes with a 600-meter circular boat course. Six boats race three laps around the course (1,800 meters). Races are generally over in about two minutes.Kyōtei employs the flying start system of beginning races. The process begins with the Standby Warm-up, when the boats receive the signal to leave the docks and select a starting position while a large clock situated at the start line begins a one-minute countdown. At approximately 12 seconds before the clock reaches zero, the boats race up towards the start line at full speed. Boats must cross this line within one second after the clock reaches zero. If a boat crosses the line too early - called a , or crosses too late - called a , it is scratched from the race and bets on that boat are refunded. The Japanese term for this exclusion is . In a sense, the flying start system can be compared to the mobile start used in harness racing
Harness racing
Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait . They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, although racing under saddle is also conducted in Europe.-Breeds:...
.
If a boat causes an infraction during the race or becomes disabled, the boat is immediately . Competitors must pass any disabled boats during the race to the inside or outside as designated by the referees - passing on the wrong side results in the competitor being disqualified. No refunds are given for disqualified boats, unless all boats are disqualified.
Prior to the start of a race, competitors conduct practice runs around the course to ensure that their boats are functioning properly, and to provide the bettors with useful information before bets are made. The first stage is called the , when competitors choose the group that they wish to start in - either the slow group (which begins closer to the finish line) or the dash group (which begins farther away). Competitors then race to the start line as the clock counts down, and the time difference between each boat and the clock are recorded. Since it is an exhibition, there are no penalties for flying or late starts.
The second stage of the practice run is called the . Here the competitors practice their straight runs and cornering, and conduct a timed run of 150 meters which is announced. An announcement is also made if competitors replace their propellors or any boat engine parts.
All the boats and engines are the same type, provided by Yamato Motors. Competitors are assigned an engine and a boat at random to use for race day. Only competitors are permitted to tune their assigned engine, however they are permitted to use their own propellors.
A unique aspect of the sport is the fact that women can compete as equally as men. As the weights of racers make an important difference in hydroplane racing, female racers, often lighter than their male counterparts, have certain advantages. Roughly 10% of Kyōtei racers are women.
Due to the once-common practice of excessive weight loss by competitors to make their boats lighter, there is a minimum weight requirement (men must weigh in at 50 kg or more, while women must weigh in at 47 kg or more). If any competitor is short of the minimum weight, their boat will be loaded with weights to compensate.
Advertising
The current advertising slogan for Kyōtei racing is "Battle of 6/BOAT RACE". The official theme song for promotional purposes is "Everything will be all right", performed by the J-popJ-pop
, an abbreviation for Japanese pop, is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in 1960s music, such as The Beatles, and replaced kayōkyoku in the Japanese music scene...
group Do As Infinity
Do As Infinity
Do As Infinity is a Japanese pop and rock band that formed in 1999 with three members: vocalist Tomiko Van, guitarist Ryo Owatari, and guitarist and composer Dai Nagao. The band's name is sometimes abbreviated as D.A.I., alluding to the fact that Do As Infinity was named after Dai Nagao...
. Theme songs in previous years have been performed by singers Akiko Wada
Akiko Wada
is a female Japanese singer and television performer of Korean ancestry, originally hailing from , Ikuno-ku, Osaka. Born Kim Bok-Ja , like many Zainichi Koreans, she also had a name for everyday use, which was Japanicized . On her selection of Japanese citizenship, her name became , which upon...
and Yuki Koyanagi
Yuki Koyanagi
, is a Japanese pop singer. She released her first single, 'Anata no kisu o kazoemashô - You Were Mine' on September 15, 1999. This song was a huge hit in Japan and made the 17-year-old a sensation overnight. Her second album 'EXPANSION', sold over 1.3 million copies. She has done several albums ...
, and pop group Tube
Tube (band)
TUBE is a Japanese pop/rock band. This group released most of its songs in April to July earning the phrase, "Summer comes with TUBE". There is an urban legend that Fuyumi Sakamoto who releases her songs only in winter, has never met TUBE or that she makes songs for TUBE and vice versa...
.
See also
- Gambling in JapanGambling in JapanGambling in Japan is generally banned by the Criminal Code chapter 23, however there are several exceptions, including betting on horse racing and certain motor sports....
- Nippon FoundationNippon Foundationis a private, non-profit grant-making organization. It was established in 1962 by Ryoichi Sasakawa, the late statesman and businessman who, following World War II, was accused, albeit not convicted, of class A war crimes...
, which oversees the income from Kyōtei. - Hydroplane racingHydroplane racingHydroplane racing is a sport involving racing hydroplanes on lakes and rivers. It is a popular spectator sport in several countries.-International Professional Outboard Hydroplane Racing:...
- Monkey TurnMonkey Turnis a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Katsutoshi Kawai. The manga was serialized in Shogakukan magazine Shōnen Sunday from 1996 to 2005. The manga spawned two anime series, Monkey Turn and Monkey Turn V, which were both produced by Oriental Light and Magic and aired on TV Tokyo throughout...
: A mangaMangaManga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
by Katsutoshi Kawai, later adaptated into animeAnimeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
.