Sailing team alumni win U30 Class at 2024 NIPPON CUP

GRADs members

Yuki Yakuwa
1st-year doctoral student, Life Science and Technology

Masayuki Kawai
1st-year doctoral student, Chemical Science and Engineering

Nao Takizawa
2nd-year doctoral student, Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering

Daichi Habara
Class of 2023, Mechanical Engineering

Masahiro Haga
1st-year master's student, Industrial Engineering and Economics

Ryosuke Makieda
2nd-year master's student, Architecture and Building Engineering

GRADs (from left): Makieda, Haga, Takizawa, Habara, Yakuwa, Kawai

The GRADs team was created by alumni and alumnae of the Tokyo Tech Sailing Team who wanted to continue sailing after retiring from official club activities. While engaging in research activities at the graduate level, the members regularly make time to sail and participate in various competitions throughout the year. The team representative, Yuki Yakuwa, served as skipper in the 2024 NIPPON CUP.

Comments from GRADs rep and skipper Yuki Yakuwa

Some of the teams in this year's contest had won the cup in the past, and the competition was tight. Every second counted. It was a hard-fought battle, but we were able to combine our strengths as a team and win the championship. The friendships I have made through my club activities are irreplaceable, and I am very happy to have been able to compete with this special group, which included a member who has already graduated from Tokyo Tech. It was also a great pleasure to get to know sailors of my generation from other teams through this fierce competition, and to make new connections outside Tokyo Tech. I hope to continue to cherish these connections after graduation myself.

The teamwork skills, broadened perspectives, and problem-solving abilities that I cultivated through my club activities and with the sailing team to achieve a shared goal are now being utilized to solve problems with my research lab mates. It is not an easy task to balance my research and sailing activities, but I intend to continue to do so with even greater effort.

Tokyo Tech Sailing Team

Most members of the Tokyo Tech Sailing Team joined the official student club with no sailing experience, but they have achieved outstanding results at national championships and other competitions by utilizing the knowledge they have gained through daily practice and from senior members and alumni. The Kuramae Ushio Association, an alumni association boasting 400 members, fully supports the activities of the current club members. Their motto is "developing full-fledged sailors, full-fledged members of society."

GRADs passing race midway point in 1st place