by Jerome Lagunzad
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT ZONE — At least 17 yachts, led by defending IRC 1 division champion Centennial III, answered the starting siren on Saturday as the inaugural Subic Bay around Verde Island Passage Race and the Subic Bay Cup Regatta competitions got going here.
Centennial III, skippered by veteran sailor Judes Echauz, is considered by many to make a successful title defense in the main division featuring 75 feet and above big boats in the absence of its perennial rivals from Hong Kong, Jelik of magnate Frank Pong and Scallywag, now owned by Malaysian-born Seng Huang Leng.
Crack teams from Germany, Singapore, Japan and Taiwan have also participated as they try to steal the thunder from their local counterparts in the six-day sailing competitions organized by Subic Sailing Team and under the auspices of the Philippine Sailing Association as part of the Asian Yachting Grand Prix.
Out to foil Centennial III’s lofty bid are Hong Kong’s Antipodes, captained by Geoff Hill, and another local entry Karakoa, helmed by Ray Ordoveza, according Jie Combalicer, of Standard Insurance and one of the event administrators.
In the IRC II, Germany’s Emocean, skippered Michael Raueber, is out to make a strong debut as it vies for supremacy against Sydney GTS 43 Mandrake III, manned by Nick Burns and David Witt, Sabad of Bobby Benares, and local veteran campaigner Selma Star of Jun Avecilla.
Another local challenger in tow is Philippine’s Misty Mountain of George Hacket, Combalicer said.
Meanwhile, two sailing teams from Hong Kong will duke it out in the Cruising Class, with the Asia Pacific Sailing, skipped by veteran sailor Stephen Wu Snifu, up against Li Jian’s ASPARAS.
All protagonists will still need to negotiate a 200-mile race, the same distance of the previous Subic Bay to Boracay tilts, sailing off from Subic Bay down to Verde Island Passage in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro and back to Subic Bay on the same day.
Verde Island Passage is a strait that separates the islands of Luzon and Mindoro, connecting the South China Sea with the Tayabas Bay in Quezon province and the Sibuyan Sea in Romblon, beyond.
The two regattas are part of the prestigious Asian Yachting Grand Prix Circuit that also stages races in Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong.
Supporting the initial SBVIPR and SBCR events are Tanduay Rum, Pepsi Cola, Broadwater Marine, Nano Fixit and JC.