The “Venus Series Round 3: Moonlight Princess Deciding Race” kicks off at Boat Race Gamagori (night race) from May 12 to 17. A1-class racers participating include Asuka Otaki (from Shizuoka, Aichi branch), Chisae Hironaka (from Aichi, Tokyo branch), Namiko Wakasa (from Okayama, Okayama branch), Mizuki Yasui (from Okayama, Okayama branch), and Rina Yamamoto (from Saga, Saga branch). They will engage in intense battles under the early summer night sky of Gamagori.
The main event on opening day is the Dream Race in Race 12, featuring the following lineup:
1st Lane: Asuka Otaki (Shizuoka, Aichi) – 71% win rate from Lane 1 this year
2nd Lane: Namiko Wakasa (Okayama, Okayama) – 13% win rate from Lane 2
3rd Lane: Chisae Hironaka (Aichi, Tokyo) – 6% win rate from Lane 3
4th Lane: Mizuki Yasui (Okayama, Okayama) – 36% win rate from Lane 4
5th Lane: Rina Yamamoto (Saga, Saga) – 0% win rate from Lane 5
6th Lane: Yumi Harada (Aichi, Osaka) – 0% win rate from Lane 6
*Note: Parentheses show (hometown, branch) order. Lane-specific win rates are for 2026 (January onward).
Among the lane-specific statistics, the standout is No. 4 boat Mizuki Yasui (33 years old) [photo above]. This year, she has 5 wins in 14 starts from Lane 4, an impressive 36% win rate. All five wins came via aggressive corner maneuvers: four by inside overtake (makuri) and one by inside overtake with a slight lean (makuri-zashi). In January’s Tama River Venus Series, she executed a corner overtake from Lane 4 in the semifinal to advance to the final, and in March’s All-Ladies Race at三国, she pulled off another Lane 4 overtake in the final to secure her debut victory. Her ability to attack decisively in crucial moments makes her a key player in this Dream Race.
On the motor performance side, attention is on No. 2 boat Namiko Wakasa (37 years old) [photo above]. She has drawn Motor No. 61, which was used by Takuto Oue in March’s SG Boat Race Classic, where it recorded six top times in eight runs and helped Oue reach his first SG final (finishing 6th). Wakasa marked a top time of 6.60 seconds in the pre-race inspection, already showing the swift speed of this motor. She will race twice on opening day: Race 5 (Lane 6) and Race 12 (Lane 2). It will be worth watching her boat’s performance in the early Race 5.
Facing them from Lane 1 is local favorite Asuka Otaki. She won her first victory of the year in the previous Venus Series at Tsu, and in the last general race at Tokoname, she competed with top racers like Nobutaka Kamijo and Yuki Kawai for the title, finishing 6th in the final. Her recent form is sharply rising. This year, she has 15 wins in 21 starts from Lane 1 (71% win rate), and she is currently on a five-race winning streak from that lane. She aims to seize control of this Dream Race by executing a clean start from Lane 1 against Yasui and Wakasa.
The race promises an exciting showdown of speed and strategy under the Gamagori night lights.