Yamato avoids most of the jockeying, settling in the least favourable position, furthest back and behind all the other ships. It's only fair, after all: He's the latecomer who only signed up at the last minute, so if anybody has to start from disadvantageous position, it's him.

As soon as he hears the shout, he hits the accelerator, picking up speed as he heads down the first section of the course. Despite starting in last place, he starts overtaking ships quickly, weaving gracefully (if a little recklessly, dodging each ship he encounters by only a couple of feet) around them, going from sixteenth place to fifteenth, fourteenth, thirteenth, twelfth ...

By the time he starts drawing up on the first obstacles section of the course, he's just about hit ninth place.