Kyōtei
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boat A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically found on inl ...
racing In sport, racing is a competition of speed, in which competitors try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time. Typically this involves traversing some distance, but it can be any other task involving speed to reach a specific goa ...
" and referred to as BOAT RACE,「競艇振興会」から「BOAT RACE振興会」へ (in Japanese)
/ref> is a
hydroplane racing Hydroplane racing (also known as hydro racing) is a sport involving racing hydroplanes on lakes and rivers. It is a popular spectator sport in several countries. Racing circuits International professional outboard hydroplane racing The Union Int ...
event primary held in
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. It is one of Japan's four , which are sports events where
parimutuel betting Parimutuel betting or pool 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 "vigorish" are deducted, and payoff odds are calculated by sharing the pool among all winnin ...
is legal. Kyōtei was introduced in Japan in April 1952, when the first race was held at Ōmura Kyōtei Stadium in Ōmura City, Nagasaki Prefecture. 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 was renamed the BOAT RACE Promotion Association. There are 24 kyōtei stadiums in Japan, all of which refer to themselves as BOAT RACE courses.


Kyōtei races

A Kyōtei race is conducted on man-made lakes with a 600-meter oval 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. Once competitors receive the signal to ''pit-out'' of the docks, they will maneuver their boats in an effort to secure a starting position while a large clock situated at the start/finish line begins a one-minute countdown. Starting positions are usually established with 30 seconds before the clock reaches zero, and with about 12 seconds remaining the boats begin to race up towards the start line at full speed. Boats must cross the start line within one second after the clock reaches zero. If a boat crosses the line too early - 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 is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait (a trot or a pace). They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, or spider, or chariot occupied by a driver. In Europe, and less frequently in Australi ...
. Once a race begins, boats fight for the best position entering the first turn marker. Race winners are often decided on the very first turn of the race. The first boat across the line after three laps is the winner, with the first three finishers deciding the payouts for bets. If a boat causes interference with another boat, is involved in an accident or becomes disabled, the boat is . No refunds are given for disqualified boats, unless all boats are disqualified for some reason. Prior to the start of a race, competitors conduct a practice start and run a few laps around the course to practice their straight runs and cornering. These ensure that their boats are functioning properly, and also provide the betting public with useful information. During the practice, a straight run of 150 meters is timed for each boat and announced to the public. Also, competitors are not penalized for false or late starts during the practice run. Competitors are assigned an engine and a boat at random to use for race day. Competitors can tune their own engines between the exhibition run and the race. Up until 2012, they were also permitted to use their own propellers. Similar to other water and land-based motorsport where a minimum dry weight requirement includes the driver, rules require men to 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 additional ballast weight to compensate.


Competitors

Each racer involved in Kyōtei is assigned a rank. From the top down, the ranks are A1, A2, B1 and B2. Each competitor's performance over a six-month period determines whether they are promoted, demoted, or keep the same rank. Racers in the higher A classes are permitted to compete in more races more often. Each tournament carries one of five designations: SG (Special Grade), G1, G2, G3 and General. SG races are held around eight times a year and are only open to the highest A1 kyōtei competitors. The last major tournament of the year, the Grand Prix, determines the annual champion in terms of prize money won. 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. Training of Kyōtei competitors is carried out at the Yamato Kyōtei School (now the Boat Racer Training School) in Yanagawa City, Fukuoka Prefecture.


See also

*
Gambling in Japan Most forms of gambling in Japan are generally banned by the Criminal Code chapter 23; however, there are several exceptions, including betting on horse racing and certain motor sports. Public sports, lottery, and toto (football pools) are held u ...
*
Nippon Foundation of Tokyo, Japan, is a private, non-profit grant-making organization. It was established in 1962 by Ryoichi Sasakawa. The foundation's mission is to direct Japanese motorboat racing revenue into philanthropic activities, it uses this money t ...
, which oversees the income from Kyōtei. *
Hydroplane racing Hydroplane racing (also known as hydro racing) is a sport involving racing hydroplanes on lakes and rivers. It is a popular spectator sport in several countries. Racing circuits International professional outboard hydroplane racing The Union Int ...
*''
Monkey Turn is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Katsutoshi Kawai. It was serialized in Shogakukan magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from August 1996 to January 2005, with its chapters collected in 30 ''tankōbon'' volumes. The manga sp ...
:'' A
manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
by
Katsutoshi Kawai Katsutoshi (written: 勝敏, 勝利, 勝俊, 勝年 or 克俊) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese sumo wrestler *, Japanese politician *, Japanese ice hockey player *, Japan ...
, later adapted into
anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
.


References


External links

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BOAT RACE Official Web
Japan. {{DEFAULTSORT:Kyotei Hydroplanes Motorboat racing Sport in Japan