DMG MORI SAILING TEAM Welcomes New Sailing Trainees to Their Young Talent Development Program in Hayama
DMG MORI SAILING TEAM is set to welcome three new sailing trainees starting April 2024 as part of their young talent development program, "DMG MORI SAILING ACADEMY," initiated in 2021.
In this program, the trainees will aim to participate in and complete the transatlantic race, "Mini Transat," to be held in 2027. Based at the port of Hayama, Kanagawa Prefecture, the trainee team will be coached by ocean sailor Masatomo Suzuki, who completed the Mini Transat in 2019 and the Globe 40 round-the-world race in Class 40 in 2023.
The Mini Transat serves as the gateway to the Vendée Globe, a solo round-the-world yacht race with no stops or refueling. In 2021, team skipper Kojiro Shiraishi made history as the first Asian to complete this challenging race. In 2023, the latest edition of the Mini Transat took place in France. Among the participants were Laure Galley and Federico Sampei, members of DMG MORI SAILING ACADEMY based in France.
DMG MORI SAILING TEAM began recruiting trainees for the Japan program in February 2023 and has selected three candidates after multiple rounds of selection. All three young trainees have experience sailing in university sailing clubs, but this will be their first venture into ocean-going sailing. They will initially learn about the structure and operation of ocean-going racing boats at their base in Hayama Port before focusing on sailing in Japan.
Additionally, as the team sets its sights on the Mini Transat in 2027, they will organize the “Mini National Caravan Tour (tentative name).” During this tour, students from university yacht clubs across Japan will have the opportunity to experience the Mini 6.50 ocean racing boat from Hayama Port and discover the allure of ocean racing. Alongside attending a lecture by Mr. Masatomo Suzuki, students will also have the chance to sail aboard the Mini 6.50.
The long-term goal of the trainee program, including the Mini National Caravan Tour, aligns with the team’s activity policy of "fostering young skippers and engineers" and "promoting yachting and sailing culture in Japan." DMG MORI SAILING TEAM will continue to develop talent for ocean sailing and enhance Japan's sailing culture.
Here is a brief introduction of the coach, Masatomo Suzuki, and the three trainees.
About Masatomo Suzuki
Masatomo Suzuki, born in 1985 in Chiba, embarked on his sailing journey at the age of 5, influenced by his parents. As a student, he was active at the yacht club of Hosei University's athletic association before transitioning to a career in a general company. He later retired from the corporate world to pursue his passion for sailing. In 2019, he participated in the Mini Transat where he secured the 23rd position among 56 boats. In April 2023, he achieved another milestone by completing the Globe 40, a renowned Class 40 round-the-world yacht race. Currently, he is an integral member of the DMG MORI SAILING TEAM, contributing his expertise to the development of young sailors in Japan through his coaching role in the program of DMG MORI SAILING ACADEMY.
These are the three new trainees who will join the team in April 2024:
The Mini6.50 racing boat used at Hayama Port:
About DMG MORI
DMG MORI is a leading global manufacturer of high-precision machine tools and is represented in 43 countries – with 116 sales and service locations, including 17 production plants. In the “Global One Company”, more than 13,000 employees are driving the development of holistic solutions in the manufacturing industry. Our portfolio covers sustainable manufacturing solutions based on the technologies Turning, Milling, Grinding, Boring as well as Ultrasonic, Lasertec and Additive Manufacturing. With technology integration, end-to-end automation and digitization solutions we make it possible to increase productivity and resource efficiency at the same time.