The Tokyo Olympics will bring us a valuable "human legacy."

-- Chairman Kono attended the construction-breaking and topping-out ceremonies for the sailing ship ``Sinara'' and gave us his kind words.

Kono: I have a house near the Riviera Sibonia Marina, which has very fond memories for me, so I was always looking at the mast of Sinara from my window. When I was on commercial voyages, I even had dinner on the deck. However, one day the mast disappeared. It would be dangerous if a typhoon approached, so they had no choice but to lower the mast. Yachts without masts look really pitiful.
I watched as the marina staff painstakingly slowly moved the boat to the dock. So when I heard about the restoration, I was deeply moved by his decision.
My favorite ride is a one-person dinghy. However, I still admire the elegance and beauty of Shinara.

―― How did Chairman Kono start sailing?

Kono: When I entered university, I was recruited to join the sailing club. Today's Olympic-class athletes usually join junior clubs and start competing at a young age, but in our time there were no such clubs. I think there were a few people who started it as part of their high school club activities.
The yacht club, which I joined with no prior experience, is an athletic club that focuses on competition and trains hard. However, I was motivated by competition, and I spent the last four years immersed myself in yachting.
Through the competition, I made many friends at other universities, and today, 50 years later, it is those friends who run the Sailing Federation.

-- At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the number of promising sailing athletes is increasing. It has suddenly attracted attention, and there are expectations that the yachting population will rapidly expand.

Kono: It is of great significance to be able to hold the Olympics in Japan, not just for sailing. In Japan, as the birthrate continues to decline, the overall number of people playing sports continues to decline. However, recently this has come to a halt. I heard that Tohoku University's sailing club, which was facing a crisis of survival due to the damage caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake, has started to increase its membership. This is probably due to the success of the Olympic bid. I would be happy if more people took advantage of this opportunity to enjoy boating.
But being on a boat is part of the fun of the sea. Marine sports/marine leisure are diverse.
It is said that in Japan today, there are fewer young people playing in the sea than there were a few years ago. I hope that the Olympic sailing competitions held in Japan will be an opportunity for many people to become familiar with the sea. Let's start from there.
In that sense, I have high hopes for Riviera's ``activities to increase the ocean population'' through the Japan Maritime Academy.

Kono: When it comes to the Olympics, we tend to focus on the athletes' performance, but it's not just the athletes who gain strength when the Olympics are held in Japan. By hosting the Olympics and various international tournaments that serve as prelude to the Olympics, we are accumulating know-how on tournament management. In the case of competitive sailing, hundreds of staff are required to run one international competition. The reason why so many people can gain experience as management professionals is because the event is held in Japan.
Sagami Bay has come to be known as a sacred place for sailing since the Enoshima Yacht Harbor was built as a "legacy" of the last Tokyo Olympics. In order to make this tournament a success, I would like to ask Riviera and its members to take care of the boats that are parked in Enoshima as a behind-the-scenes part.
Competitive sailing has some disadvantages as a spectator sport. This is because it is difficult to understand how the battle will unfold from the shore. However, recently, aerial photography using drones and data linkage using digital technology have been developed, and the media broadcasting the competitions are making full use of these latest technologies, allowing the audience to enjoy the thrilling tactics. became.
“Legacy” is not just the venue facilities. A “human legacy” with know-how is important.

-- Isn't it a "legacy" that the number of people who watch and enjoy it increases?

Kono: Having said that, as someone who fell in love with yacht racing in my first year of university, I would like you to not only watch it, but also try riding a boat at least once. Once you hit the wind and run through the waves, you'll definitely want to compete. Isn't that human nature?