Japanese veteran joins Geronimo

Kazuhiro Nishimura joins de Kersauson's team for Trans-Pacific record

Just as on her previous voyages, the Cap gemini/Schneider Electric trimaran is taking on board some foreign crewmen. Among them, Kazuhiro Nishimura is one of the most famous Japanese sailors. A regular participant in match racing and round the buoy races, the Japanese yachtsman will be discovering what life is like aboard a multihull with Geronimo.

At the age of 51, Kazuhiro Nishimura can boast a long sailing CV, which would take three pages to present. Since 1973, Kazu has been in one race after another and has been involved in a multitude of different projects. Having become a match racing specialist, he took part in the America's Cup in 2000 aboard Nippon Challenge as boat captain. His ocean racing experience, which he admits is more limited, is nevertheless quite impressive. The Fastnet Race, the Sydney Hobart, the Transpac and many other races. One particularly remarkable achievement is that he was the first and most recent to enter a Japanese boat in the Tour de France sailing race in 1992. "A fabulous country, where sailing is part of the tradition." For his first experience in multihull racing, Kazu says he is "very impressed with Geronimo. I've been wanting to discover this type of boat for a long time. When I found out that Geronimo was going to be coming to Japan , I contacted the team and everything happened very quickly. Now I am in San Diego, I must admit that I am a bit intimidated. This boat really exudes power and speed, so I'm wondering how things will work out. But I'm pleased to be on board, as it's something new for me. I know Olivier de Kersauson by name, as he's known in the world of yachting just as Titouan Lamazou, with whom I was in contact a while back."

As for becoming part of a largely French crew, that worked out very quickly: "The crew is really friendly and are close to one another. They know the boat well and are very efficient."

Didier Ragot is also pleased: "Kazu is a really nice guy. But apart from that, it's important for us to have someone who really knows Japan, its weather and all its dangers. Even if he doesn't know multihulls, his yachting experience is impressive. He's one of the greats."To prepare Geronimo's arrival in his country, Kazuhiro Nishimura has been working on the logistics and communications concerning the trimaran's arrival in Yokohama.

While yachting is still not very well known as a sport in Japan, "I'm sure that with Geronimo, if we beat the record, the media will turn out. Our country is gradually waking up. When Ellen MacArthur passed through, that created a lot of interest, as before these boats were completely unknown in this part of the world."

While Kazu does not have any projects involving multihulls, he is busy working on the construction of Beecom a 65-foot monohull with a canted keel that he would like to sail in Europe. "Hopefully with some of the crew from Geronimo."