It is my great pleasure that the 21th Norway Friendship Yacht Race is being held on a grand scale this year, too.
Beautiful ocean of Kanagawa captures the heart of many people with its multifaceted features, and the beaches bustle with many visitors enjoying marine sports all year round. In particular, many sailors come to Kanagawa every year since it is the birthplace of yachting in Japan.
Against this backdrop, sailors of a wide range of generations will show heated matches for Norway Friendship Race. I expect that the races will give a precious opportunity for more people to know the fascination of sailing, and contribute to the spread and promotion of Kanagawa’s marine sports.
I hope that the participating sailors will do their best and show us wonderful races, demonstrating the result of their daily training. I also hope that this event will further develop as an opportunity to deepen the friendships between Kingdom of Norway and Japan.
Lastly, let me express my deep respect to the people of Incorporated Association Enoshima Yacht Club, the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Japan and the organizations concerned. I would like to conclude my words by wishing a great success of the 21th Norway Friendship Yacht Race and the best of luck of all the racers.
KUROIWA Yuji
Governor, Kanagawa Prefecture