TOKYO, May 26, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DYNAMITE BOATRACE Japan, one of the most popular high-octane water motorsports in Japan for more than 70 years, kicks off its summer competition schedule on May 26-31, 2020, with the 47th BOATRACE All Star SG Series in Osaka. While live attendance remains restricted during the State of Emergency in Japan, fans can follow the action on Japanese cable TV channels and via live BOATRACE webcasts.
DYNAMITE BOATRACE and the Japan Boatracing Association continue distribution for its live broadcasts in Japan, while international fans can access video highlights, photos, and athlete and race information on the all-new U.S.-facing website at https://lets-boatrace.jp/en/ and recently-launched social media channels on Facebook @DynamiteBoatRaceJapan and Instagram @Dynamite_Boatrace_Japan. A new Youtube channel is also being created to host regular videos from recent races.
DYNAMITE BOATRACE features more than 50,000 races a year at 24 dedicated BOATRACE stadiums, making it one of the most popular national sports in Japan. Races attract approximately 10 million fans a year, including an international audience from across the Pacific and around the world.
“The health and safety of our races and fans is our number one priority, so while we believe it’s safe to continue racing, we’ve eliminated onsite spectators during the national state of emergency in Japan,” said Tsukasa Murakami, International BOATRACE Promotion Manager. “We understand this has a significant impact on fans, and we’re working to provide them with multiple ways to enjoy the sport outside of Japan, especially in countries like the U.S., Australia and in Europe, where motorsports are very popular.”
Now heavy into the regular season, competition will culminate in December when The Grand Prix is scheduled to be held over six days in Tokyo at Heiwajima. The winner of BOATRACE’s marquee event will take home a prize purse of approximately $865,000 USD (¥100 million). The league’s top racers typically earn more than $40 million USD throughout their career.
Later this month, the 47th BOATRACE All Star SG Series will pit top male and female racers against each other in head-to-head competition with more than $360,000 USD (¥39 million) on the line.
Chihiro Oyama, 24-years-old, is currently ranked 10 in the women’s rankings and is climbing her way back to the top slot after being disqualified for a month due to a flying start at a recent race series. Nana Hirataka, sitting at the top of the rankings, will need to fight off challenges from Seina Ono and Miho Moriya. Oyama, whose mother was also a professional Boatracer, started racing five years ago when she was 19 and has steadily risen through the rankings.
The athlete to beat remains top-ranked men’s racer Motohiro Yoshikawa who has surged ahead from the start of 2020 earning nearly double the race earnings of his nearest rival, Uriu Masayoshi.
Entry to the Grand Prix finale is only open to the top 18 prize winning racers over the year.
BOATRACE Background
A nod to Japanese art and culture, BOATRACE athletes compete in lightweight, wooden boats that are hand cut, carefully crafted, and assembled in Japan each year. Only 1,600 boats are made per year, and each one features a stock outboard motor and is retired after only one season.
The first BOATRACE was held in Japan in April 1952 at BOATRACE Stadium in Omura City, Nagasaki. BOATRACE launched during a period of great economic and social hardship in Japan as the country worked to recover from the destruction of World War II. The sport is rooted in tradition from this time, most noticeably by utilizing the original wooden boat design since inception.
The closest U.S. classification is “Stock Outboard,” however the boat is a “one design” hydroplane with racing engines driven by an outboard powerhead and a racing lower unit with a direct drive (meaning it starts and stays in gear).
All boats and engines are assembled and tested at Yamato Motors, the exclusive manufacturer of the BOATRACE boats. The engines are 400cc two stroke engines and generate 22.8kW at 6,600 rpm.
Boat speed at full throttle is about 50 mph. Due to the racers’ closeness to the water, the apparent speed feels more like 75 mph and centrifugal force (g-force) when cornering is considerable.
Once retired, the Yamato Motor Company engines used in BOATRACE are reconditioned and a small handful are shipped to the United States and Europe where they are used for boat racing and would be considered C Stock Hydro in the USA. These engines are robust and considered prized by the industry.
At each event, competitors are assigned an engine and a boat at random to use for race day. Competitors must tune their own engine and perform any maintenance for competition.
In each race, six boats race three laps around an 1,800 meter (1.1 mile) course. Each lap is approximately 600 meters (a little less than ½ mile -- .37 miles).
About DYNAMITE BOATRACE
DYNAMITE BOATRACE is a high-octane water motorsport that combines a martial combat mentality with elements of stock car racing and pits male and female athletes against each other in a single field of battle. Approximately 50,000 events take place annually at 24 dedicated stadiums attracting about 10 million fans. BOATRACE is a cultural icon in Japan with a strict barrier to entry for athletes that includes stringent testing and year-long bootcamp-style training. More information is at https://lets-boatrace.jp/en/.
USA Media Contact:
Van Holmes, van.holmes@specpr.com
International Media Contact:
John Boreland, johnjboreland@threerocks.net
BOATRACE Promotion Association
Six Wave Roppongi Building
Roppongi 5-16-6
Minato Ku
Tokyo
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6267a2a2-c9fe-4089-8087-b50f68762c12
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f21347a9-f14b-43c0-80a8-73f0399c6483
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c6e89ebf-656e-4669-b432-bd16899508cd
A video accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/40e4c866-d539-47e9-aa9c-cb625465fe39