September 2019 Issue
Riviera Holdings Co., Ltd.
Representative Director Chairman and President
Noboru Watanabe
Reception for the Olympics
One year has passed until the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. In Enoshima (Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture), the venue for the Olympic sailing competition, the ``Sailing World Cup Series Enoshima Tournament,'' which can be considered a prelude to the event, is being held, and the excitement here is about to reach its climax. Riviera, which participates in the management of both tournaments as the ``marina closest to the race area,'' will make every effort as a group to support the World Cup and the Olympics with all its might, so that athletes and tournament officials can play with peace of mind. We strive to provide a safe and comfortable environment so that you can concentrate on your activities, and we are committed to the development of competitive sailing and marine sports.
This time, I decided to host a reception party to express my gratitude to Sakae. "Welcome to 2019 WCS & 2020 OLYMPICS Promotional Party" is the eve of "World Sailing". In order to make the Olympics a success, it is essential that we transcend our individual positions and simply come together as one. We believe that this is a role that Riviera, as a private organization, can fulfill, and we have invited everyone involved in the competition, those involved in the Olympic management from both Japan and abroad, local government, and local fishing associations.
At that time, I would like to reiterate that our Riviera Country Club (RCC) will be the venue for the golf competition at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The RCC was the venue for the equestrian events at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. This is the tournament where Takeichi Nishi, also known as ``Baron Nishi,'' won the gold medal.
Riviera is proud of its deep connection to the Olympics, and would like to thank everyone who has been connected to it, and hope to share this joy with the world at large.
(From left) Riviera Watanabe, JSAF President Kono, World Sailing Alistair Fox, Fujisawa City Mayor Suzuki, Kanagawa Prefecture Vice Governor Asaba, Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee Sports Director Nakamura
The connection between Tokyo 2020 and Shinara
Speaking of connections, this April we welcomed Mr. Tatsumitsu Yamazaki, honorary president of the Japan Sailing Federation, to the position of representative director of the Japan Marine Academy. Mr. Yamazaki actually has a close relationship with the historic sailing ship "Sinara", which Riviera is currently working on restoring (full-scale restoration). When the Synara was still on active voyage, there was a TV program that traced the oceanic route that spices took to Japan using the Synara, and the sponsor was SB Foods, of which Mr. Yamazaki served as president and chairman. Mr. Yamazaki, who came to visit us at the recent Shinara construction ceremony, said, ``When this ship floats on the seas again, I would like you to take the helm.''
I am thrilled that so many people, including Mr. Yamazaki, are looking forward to this restoration project, which I initially started as a personal dream, as if it were their own.
In the Riviera Sivonia Marina workshop, shipwrights from around the world who have inherited skills continue to collaborate with Japanese engineers who want to learn from the craftsmen of previous eras. It was a perfect coincidence that this famous boat, which once carried the name of a lady, came to the Riviera Group many years later at the same time it was inherited.
If I hadn't met Sinara, I wouldn't have gotten involved in historic wooden sailing ships and their restoration, and I wouldn't have had many new connections such as classic yacht regattas and the Royal Yacht Squadron, Britain's oldest yacht club. . Thank you very much.
In the hands of craftsmen with ties that transcend borders, Shinara will make its beautiful appearance in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. As the ship is over 90 years old, there are no blueprints or structural calculations, and there are many challenges to overcome. Although the restoration was a groping process in the dark, I became convinced by facing the ``real'' Shinara in front of me and constantly sharing my thoughts with her craftsmen. This restoration will definitely be completed in time for Tokyo 2020. I would like to thank and praise their efforts.
Craftsmen on board the Sinara ship
Photo by Yoichi Yabe