Japanese Craftsmanship to Play Vital Role in Dinghy Sailing in Paris

Tokyo, July 16 (Jiji Press)--Japanese craftsmanship plays an important role in the sport of dinghy sailing. 

North Sails Japan Inc., a sailmaker based in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, dominates the world market for sails for 470-class dinghies.

At the company, about 30 craftspeople manufacture sails. Large sheets of canvas are cut into around 17 strips, which are then sewn together with sewing machines.

"We can piece the strips together with precision of less than a millimeter by hand. This is Japanese craftsmanship," a North Sails Japan official said.

As sails made overseas tend to differ in their performance by product, it takes time for sailors to grasp the characteristics of each sail when they adopt a new one. On the contrary, those made by North Sails Japan have uniform features--something that has made them popular since around the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Though organizers at international competitions check whether participants' sails meet regulations, the firm's products are so well trusted that they are exempted from such examinations.

Fifteen out of the 19 boats competing in the 470-class mixed two-person dinghy event, newly adopted for the 2024 Paris Games, will use sails manufactured by North Sails Japan, according to Masanobu Katori, president of the company. "I hope the team with our logo on the sails will win. And of course, I hope it will be the Japanese team," he said.

At the Paris Games, Keiju Okada and Miho Yoshioka aim to win Japan's first gold medal for the mixed 470 event. After changing the shape of their sails to a world-first design, they clinched the world championship last year.

The outcome of the race depends on the performance and adjustment of the boat's equipment. Katori, who has known Okada since he was a beginner sailor, continues to fine-tune Okada and Yoshioka's sails. "I hope they will get a good result in Paris," he said.

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