All Japan Nationals – Final

Shinminato Marina, Japan, August 9, 2026. No races today. Final results after 6 races:

1. Yasushi Kondo & Keishi Suzuki, 69
2. Taro Kikkawa & Yuma Ida, 71
3. Masakazu Sasai & Kazuo Ito, 79
4. Takuro Kumano & Yuta Kunimi, 92
5. Akira Koga & Yo Koga, 98

Photos: Junichi Hirai / Bulkead Magazine

Source: Bulhead Magazine:

On the final day of the Snipe All Japan Championship held in Toyama Bay, no races were held. Based on the results up to the previous day, Yasushi Kondo and Keishi Suzuki (SAILMATE) claimed the victory.

The sailors waited for the weather to improve, but around noon, the cancellation of the day’s racing was announced. As a result, based on the standings up to the previous day, the victory of Yasushi Kondo and Keishi Suzuki (SAILMATE) was confirmed. Kondo won his third overall All Japan title—including a back-to-back championship—while Suzuki captured his second career overall title.

Comment from Yasushi Kondo “I am of course thrilled to achieve back-to-back victories, and happy to win this championship in our third attempt sailing together (with crew member Keishi Suzuki). We originally felt a natural, intuitive compatibility, and he is a dependable crew who helps me regain my composure when I get flustered. In Race 4, after a failed start, I found myself in a mentally tough spot, but his encouragement helped us recover. I think that directly led to our consecutive first-place finishes in Races 5 and 6. This time, as the wind strengthened and then gradually died down, conditions turned into waves—a scenario we excel in—which was another factor that allowed us to race to our advantage. I believe this victory gives us great momentum heading into the World Championship in September. On the other hand, there are still areas to reflect on and improve, so we want to work together to fix those issues before entering the main event. Currently, we are competing independently rather than under a corporate team, and we are supported by many people. Without forgetting our gratitude to everyone who supports us, we aim to repay their kindness with results by striving for victory at the World Championship.” 

Reforming their team with the goal of competing at the World Championship held in Spain in September, Kondo and Suzuki delivered a dominant performance—including three top finishes supported by stable boat speed—while other veteran contenders stumbled. The Snipe World Championship will take place on Menorca Island from September 19 to 26.

Comment from Keishi Suzuki “I am truly happy and relieved to win my second overall title after a long absence from the All Japan Championship. While we had no major concerns regarding our team coordination, we went through a process of trial and error regarding the mast, sails, and our combined weight in preparation for the World Championship. Since there were many light-wind races in Japan this year, we didn’t get many opportunities to practice in our ideal conditions. Consequently, equipment selection and adjustments continued right up until just before the regatta, making us enter the event with a sense of tension. Looking back, it was a genuinely fun four days. While we take sailing very seriously, we place equal importance on enjoying ourselves. Keeping the Snipe class ethos of ‘Serious Sailing, Serious Fun’ in mind, we sailed while checking in with each other during races to make sure we were both having fun. Although we took top finishes in three races at this championship, we weren’t targeting first place right from the start. It was the result of first steadily executing our plan, judging that we were in contention for the lead during the early stages, and then taking aggressive tactics with detailed course choices.”