Kyōtei

The Kyōtei (競艇^?), literally "boat racing" and referred to as BOAT RACE, is a hydroplane racing event primary held in Japan. It is one of Japan's four "Public Sports" (公営競技, kōei kyōgi^?), which are sports events where parimutuel betting is legal.

Kyōtei was introduced in Japan in 1952. In April 2010, to promote the sport to a wide variety of people as well as internationally, the Kyotei Promotion Association began referring to the sport as BOAT RACE, and the organization itself has been renamed the BOAT RACE Promotion Association. Accordingly, all of Japan's 24 kyōtei courses now refer to themselves as BOAT RACE courses.

A Kyōtei race is conducted on man-made lakes with a 600-meter oval boat course. Six boats race three laps around the course (1,800 meters). Races are generally over in about two minutes.

Kyōtei employs the flying start system of beginning races. The process begins with the Standby Warm-up, when the boats receive the signal to leave the docks and select a starting position while a large clock situated at the start line begins a one-minute countdown. At approximately 12 seconds before the clock reaches zero, the boats race up towards the start line at full speed. Boats must cross this line within one second after the clock reaches zero. If a boat crosses the line too early - a false start (フライングスタート, furaingu sutāto^?, "Flying Start"), or crosses too late - called a "Late Start" (出遅れ, deokure^?), it is scratched from the race and bets on that boat are refunded. The Japanese term for this exclusion is "return absence" (返還欠場, henkan ketsujō^?). In a sense, the flying start system can be compared to the mobile start used in harness racing.

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