Land Rover BAR meet Sumo Stars in Fukuoka

• Land Rover BAR sailing team meet leading Sumo wrestlers in Japan
• The team hopes visit will bring good weather and good fortune for the race this weekend
• Land Rover BAR aims to bring home the world’s oldest sporting trophy to Britain for the first time in its 165-year history

Thursday 17 November 2016, #japan: The #landroverbar team got to grips with traditional Japanese sporting culture in the build-up to the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series finale in #fukuoka, #japan, by working with a stable of Sumo wrestlers.

They visited the Kokonoe Beya Sumo Stable to experience one of the oldest sports in the world, which dates back to AD 794. The sailing team joined the wrestlers’  morning warm-up session and took part  in one-on-one bouts.  

It was a real honour to be invited into the Sumo Stable here today in #fukuoka to meet the athletes as they prepare for the tournament. I did not appreciate just how strong these guys are: it’s like running head-on into a brick wall. The two sports are complete extremes, but the mental preparation and focus is very similar. It was a unique and unforgettable experience to be allowed inside the inner sanctum of the sport.

In keeping with the Japanese culture and tradition the team made an offering at a local Shinto Shrine, requesting good weather and good fortune for the race weekend ahead.

Land Rover BAR hold a 14-point lead in the overall series. The winner will take two points into the next stage of the 35th America’s Cup, the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers. It’s the equivalent of two wins – a 20 per cent bonus on the remaining available points in the double round-robin, which starts in Bermuda on 26 May 2017.

All the action can be watched live in the UK and Ireland on BT Sport, with Saturday and Sunday’s racing coverage starting at 4am. Both channels will run replays throughout the weekend.