Sawt Falasteen - Japan powerboat racing revs up bid to shed shadowy reputation

Powerboat racing started more than 70 years ago under a special gambling law that classifies it alongside horse racing, speedway and cycling in Japan.

The niche sport, which has seen 30 fatal accidents, has long been in the shadows because of its close association with betting.

But now organisers are keen to shed that image and attract new fans to the fast and furious action.

The rules are simple. Six racers battle it out over three laps of a 600m oval course in single-seater boats that can reach speeds of up to 80kph (50mph).

Men and women compete together and the 1,600 pilots racing professionally range in age from 17 to 75.

Even the most successful racers are virtual unknowns, but racer Tomonori Tsuchiya believes attitudes are changing.

"There have been a lot of adverts on TV recently and I think the media has helped it become a major sport," he told AFP at a race in Tokyo, overlooked by Mount Fuji.

"More kids are seeing it on TV and thinking that they want to become boat racers too."

Powerboat racing started in 1952 and today over 4,500 races are held annually at 24 venues around the country.

Races begin with a flying start as the pilots streak along the straights before jockeying for position at the turns, straining over the side of their boats for a better racing line.

Collisions are frequent and races dangerous, despite pilots wearing helmets and kevlar body armour.

- 'Big loss of trust' -

Competitions generally run for a week, with daily races at the venue.

During that period racers are shut in at on-site dormitories and are forbidden from bringing in mobile phones and other devices that would allow them to communicate with the outside world.

Despite the restrictions powerboat racer Masaki Nishikawa was arrested and sentenced to three years in prison in 2020 for fixing races.

Shigeru Yamanaka, a spokesperson for the Japan Motor Boat Racing Association, said the scandal "sent a big jolt" through the sport.

"Make no mistake, it caused a big loss of trust among customers," he said.

Yamanaka says stronger measures have since been introduced.

Racers must pass through metal-detector gates when they enter the venue to make sure they don't have a phone or any other means of remote communication.

Pilots say lockdown life can be boring but they have plenty to occupy themselves with when racing begins.

All racers use the same equipment and are randomly assigned a wooden boat and a 400cc two-cycle engine on the competition's opening day.

After that it is up to them to maintain their equipment for the rest of the week, forcing them to act as both racers and engineers.

"I'm not so good at the maintenance side yet but I'm starting with the propellor and learning from there," said 17-year-old Suzuka Takahashi, in her first year as a professional.

- 'Like Formula One' -

Takahashi is one of about 250 women on the circuit, which features both gender-segregated and mixed races.

There is a diverse age range among the pilots too, with male racer Jiro Takahashi currently the oldest at 75.

Rie Tanikawa, now 57 and in her 38th year as a professional, said racing gets harder with age but "a powerboat is something you ride with feeling".

"You don't need so much physical strength compared to other sports and your ability to do maintenance on your boat only gets better as you get older," she said.

There was a crowd of a few hundred people, including solo older men, families and couples, at Tokyo's Tamagawa race course on a recent Sunday.

Kanami Saito, visiting with her husband Atsushi, said the action was "a bit like a Formula One race".

"It's clean and you can eat nice food," said the 49-year-old.

"It used to be only old men that came but it's different now."

Jushiro Masuda, a 39-year-old craftsman, had a different reason for attending.

"I've always liked gambling," he said.

"It's fun. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose."

N.Shalabi--SF-PST