Japan Sailing Federation
Shinjuku City, Tokyo, Japan
JSAF is one of five other teams that have consecutively participated in every edition of the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup since 2009, making 2019 JSAF's sixth attempt at the trophy. The club's best finish was in 2009, when they placed third.
The Japan Yachting Association was established in 1937, primarily for dinghy sailors, and in 1949, it was brought under the auspices of the Ministry of Education. In 1953, the Nippon Ocean Racing Club was formed for offshore sailors, under the Ministry of Transportation. The two groups starting talking about a merger in 1980, but it wasn't until April 1, 1999, that the two became the Japan Sailing Federation, a single body for all recreational sailors. The JSA hosts a number of prestigious ocean races including the Oshima Race, Pearl Race, Japan Cup, and the Melbourne-Osaka Doublehanded Race. The Federation also sponsored a challenge for the America's Cup in 1992.
Team Profile
Skipper: Eiichiro Hamazaki
Tactician: Yasutaka Funazawa