BOATRACE Gamagori (night race) kicks off on May 12 with the “Venus Series Round 3 – Moonlight Princess Deciding Race” (May 12-17). Top A1 class racers include Ootaki Asuka (Shizuoka/Aichi branch), Hironaka Chisae (Aichi/Tokyo branch), Wakasa Namiko (Okayama/Okayama branch), Yasui Mizuki (Okayama/Okayama branch), and Yamamoto Rina (Saga/Saga branch). The summer night race at Gamagori promises intense competition.
The main event on opening day is the 12th race Dream Race, featuring the following lineup:
Gamagori Day 1 Race 12 Dream Race:
- Lane 1: Ootaki Asuka (Shizuoka/Aichi) – Lane 1 win rate 71%
- Lane 2: Wakasa Namiko (Okayama/Okayama) – Lane 2 win rate 13%
- Lane 3: Hironaka Chisae (Aichi/Tokyo) – Lane 3 win rate 6%
- Lane 4: Yasui Mizuki (Okayama/Okayama) – Lane 4 win rate 36%
- Lane 5: Yamamoto Rina (Saga/Saga) – Lane 5 win rate 0%
- Lane 6: Harada Yumi (Aichi/Osaka) – Lane 6 win rate 0%
*Hometown/affiliation in parentheses. Lane win rates based on 2026 (January onwards).
Among these lane statistics, the standout is No. 4 boat Yasui Mizuki (33 years old) [photo above]. This year from lane 4, she has 5 wins in 14 races for a 36% win rate, with all victories coming via the corner attack – 4 outside passes and 1 outside pass-dash. At January’s Tama River Venus Series, she executed a lane 4 outside pass in the semi-final to advance, and in March’s Mikuni All-Ladies race, she again used a lane 4 outside pass to win the final, claiming her debut victory. Her ability to strike decisively in key moments is her trademark, making her a crucial figure in this Dream Race.
In terms of engine power, attention turns to lane 2 boat Wakasa Namiko (37 years old) [photo above]. She drew motor No. 61, which was previously used by Oue Takuto in March’s SG Boat Race Classic, where it achieved 6 top times in 8 exhibitions and powered him to his first SG final (6th place). Wakasa posted the fastest pre-race time of 6.60 seconds, hinting at the engine’s potential. She races twice on opening day: Race 5 (lane 6) and Race 12 (lane 2). Her early performance in Race 5 will indicate the motor’s true speed.
Facing her in Race 12 is local favorite Ootaki Asuka in lane 1. After winning her first victory of the year at the previous Venus Series in Tsu, she then placed 6th in the final at a general race in Tokoname, competing against top racers like Kamijo Nobutaka and Kawai Yuki. This year, she has a 71% win rate from lane 1 (15 wins in 21 races) and is on a 5-race winning streak from that lane. She aims to secure the win from lane 1 and build momentum against Yasui and Wakasa.
All race broadcasts are available on the official BOATRACE video streaming service “BOATCAST,” where fans can watch every race anytime, anywhere, along with daily news and other content.