International Sailing Competition Set for Subic, Philippines

Subic Bay will again host a prestigious international regatta this year that is expected to gather the best sailors and boost tourism in the Freeport.

Subic Bay to Boracay Race is slated from February 15-22 and coincides with the Boracay Cup Regatta.

The Saturday Afternoon Gentlemen Sailing (SAGS) group based at The Lighthouse Marina Resort in Subic and the Boracay Cup Organizing Committee jointly organized the two events.

These are acclaimed as among the best sailing competitions in Asia today attracting Grand Prix yachts and top-notch local and foreign sailors vying for the prestigious “Asian Yachtsman of the Year” and “Yacht of the Year” titles.

Subic Bay to Boracay Race is a grueling 210-nautical mile International Sailing Federation (ISAF) category 3 offshore race.

It will start at noon on February 16 and will take between 17-40 hours, depending on the size of the boat and the sea and wind conditions in the route.

Subic Bay to Boracay Sailing Competition

On the other hand, the Boracay Cup Regatta is expected to provide sailors with four glorious days of windward-leeward races and offshore races around the beautiful and exotic island of Boracay from February 18 to 22.

Overall winners in each class (racing, cruiser racing, and cruising class) of the combined Subic Bay to Boracay Race and the Boracay Cup Regatta series will bring home an impressive handcrafted solid brass trophy designed by Ferdinand Cacnio, a multi-awarded visual Filipino artist, which was officially commissioned by the provincial government of Aklan.

Last year’s overall winner of the combined regattas was Filipino businessman Ray Ordoveza on Karakoa.

To give Ordoveza a run for his money in this year’s foreseen tight race are former Yachtsmen of the Year Frank Pong on Jelik, Sam Chan on Free Fire and Neil Pryde on Hi-Fi.

Veterans and multi-titled Geoff Hill on Antipodes, Judes Echauz on his new boat Centennial II, Martin Tanco on Centennial III and Jonathan Mahoney on Zanzibar complete a formidable list of veterans to battle for the top division.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia said the race boost Subic’s claim as one of the best sports tourism venue in Southeast Asia today.

“Undoubtedly, Subic is now ranked as among the premier sporting places in the world frequented by top-caliber athletes. The regatta continue to put Subic on the sailing map, so these are very welcome events for the SBMA,” he added. (CLJD with reports from SBMA)