2008 Holiday Issue BARNACLE Manila Yacht Club

©2008 Bernard Destrubé 2009 President’s Cup Regatta Returns to Boracay 204nm racing, thru wild Centennial of Mr. Ernesto “Judes” Echauz. Judes’ many sailing accomplishments include recent Verde Passage seas... first place finishes at the Dececember 2008 Rolex Sea Race 2008 The 13th Asian Sailing and the 16th President’s fter a successful 2008 Cup Regatta. Championship President’s Cup Regatta By Medy Fidel, PSA Coach A Last March 2007, Frank in Subic Bay where about 30 Pong’s 75 feet Rachel-Pugh, foreign and local racing yachts Organized by the Sailing Jelik won the 15th Presi- competed in perfect sailing con- Federation, the event was held 7-13 dent’s Cup IRC Racing ditions, the country’s premier October 2008 in Turtle Island, Ser- Division, Judes Echauz’s yachting regatta returns to the angan, Sanur Bali, Indonesia. The PHI Subic Centennial came idyllic island of Boracay. Sailing Team’s participation was in second and 3rd was excellent competition exposure, This is the second time the Australian Ray Roberts’ with sailors from China, Chinese Manila to Boracay Race and Quantum Racing. Taipei, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, President’s Cup Regatta will Other local boats , Thailand, , UAE be combined. The back to back expected to add spice and Kazakhstan. Governed by ISAF events of the Manila Yacht Club to the Boracay compe-compe rules, Asian Sailing Federation start 14 February 2009 racing tition include: Manila (ASAF) rules and participating class on the waters fronting Manila’s Yacht Club’s Racing rules covered these events: Roxas Boulevard and will finish in Committee Chairman ✦ front of Boracay’s fine powdered MEN: , Laser 4.7, Laser George Hackett on his Long Beach. Standard, RSX, Mistral OD LW & J-35, Jo de Ros; MYC Past-Commodore Ray Mistral OD HW. The President’s Cup Regatta follows the day Ordoveza on his 53-foot Karakoa and MYC ✦ WOMEN: Optimist, Laser 4.7, after all boats have finished on 18 to 21 Febru- Past-Commodore Claudio Altura’s J-35 Vivaldi. ary which will be sailed in the waters around Laser Radial, RSX & Mistral OD. There will be 15-20 foreign-based yachts Boracay and Tablas Islands. ✦ OPEN: Hobie 16, Int’l 470 & 420. expected to complement the 15 or so local Boracay Island waters have a reputation as an yachts participating in this annual event. PHI sailors who performed well in excellent yacht racing destination because of its previous SEA Games were entered For more information please call the strong and consistent winds. These conditions in the International 470, Interna- President’s Cup Regatta Secretariat: when combined with beautiful islands and tional 420 and Hobie 16 events. Tel: (632) 526-7868 tropical waters result in exhilarating sailing not Joining Laser 4.7 and Optimist email: [email protected] commonly seen in the region. The regatta’s events were sailors born on/after www: www.manilayachtclub.org/ parties combined with Boracay’s famous beach 1991, part of PSA’s preparation for www.prescup.com front watering holes have also enhanced the the 2009 Asian Youth Games and regatta’s reputation as the place to be. the 2010 Youth Olympic Games, both to be held in Singapore. As The 7th Manila to Boracay Race and 17th extra exposure to help Youth Team President’s Cup Regatta are sponsored by preparation, a sailor was entered Standard Insurance Co. Inc. and Smart Infinity in the Laser Standard. and are chaired by the owner-skipper of Subic http://www.sailing.org/rrs continued aft

the manila yacht club 2351 roxas blvd.manila p.o.box 1085 www.manilayachtclub.org 2008 Holiday Issue

FIRSTHAND Asian Sailing Champs... Team Events. Previous Hong Kong competi- Baby Steps: the PHI SKUD 18 boat competitions, tune-ups in the tion warm-up bore fruit as Int’l 420 PHI Team team in the 2008 Paralympics quest for Paralympic Gold. USA 1’s Emerson Villena and Lester Troy Tayong’s By Cherrie Pinpin, PHI SKUD crew SKUD helm Nick Scandone* with sterling performance won the championship, ALS, a progressive neurodegenera- nd scoring 13 points after 12 races and placing 2 Tense and alert, Pedro and I aboard the PHI tive disease and weakest sailor of overall. PHI 420 Team 2’s Emanuel Amadeo and SKUD tested the start with 10 other SKUDs in the entire fleet won the Gold, Ashly Escalante did not perform well. The team’s the pre-start swarm of 60+ boats on Paralym- proving sailors with severe disabili- first international exposure included a distress- pic Sailing Course A, a huge change from Manila ties can compete on a level playing ing practice session incident when they got too Bay solo practice on Judes Echauz’ customized field. Crew Maureen McKinnon- close to the reef, went out of control and were Flying 15. The 2.4mRs, coach boats, Race Com- Tucker became the first woman to capsized by large waves, breaking mast and mittee yacht, spectator ferry, technical director, win a Paralympic Sailing Gold. We ripping sails. Unfamiliarity with strong current race management, medical classifiers, rescue were honored to represent the and wave also took its toll. and media boats milled about pre-countdown. country in this amazing drama- Outnumbered in the Int’l 470 Class by SKUDs took off first, then the 2.4mR fleet after. filled, historic race. archrival Singapore Teams 1 and 2, a ferocious Pedro and I qualified the Philippines for the Though our performance still battle awaited PHI 470 Team’s Ridgely Balladares Paralympic SKUD event during the March 2008 needed vast improvement, officials, and Rommel IFDS 2-Person Keelboat World Championships, coaches and the competition had Chavez. The 470 Singapore. Coach Rico Albeso, PSA Nat’l Coach noted our earnestness, tenacity, Team used past and Claudio Altura, Sailability Philippines Presi- gains made and told us not be experience tactics dent completed the team. Warm welcome 2nd disheartened. We were encouraged to run the Singapo- Sept. by officials from the International Founda- to spend more time on the SKUD. rean gauntlet, while tion for Disabled Sailing, ISAF, Sailability and Everyone started at the bottom, maintaining the friends helped boost morale. Paraw fisherman but with diligence, support and lead. The PHI 470 and severely disabled sailor Pedro Sollique was determination our stars would rise Team won the helm. Least disabled sailor and female crew, I too. “We’re delighted the championship by 5 trimmed 3 sails from the forward seat. SKUD Philippines joined us here points over the SIN class rules required an SDS and 1 female. and we expect to see you Men’s Team and 7 in the next Paralympics.” points over the SIN The SKUD 18, the 2-person keelboat made “Take baby steps before you can run,” Women’s Team. its 2008 Paralympic debut joining 2 other keel- boats–the 2.4mR single-person and Sonar 3- I noted. Sailing in the 2008 Meanwhile, the new Hobie 16 arrived too person keelboat, all 3 classes sailed in 41 boats Paralympics was a fantastic oppor- late in Bali. This left PHI Hobie team’s Rafael by 80 sailors from 25 countries in the biggest tunity as springboard into elite- Buitre and Richly Magsanay barely a full day for Paralympic Sailing competition ever held. The level racing in preparation for the boat set up, testing and adjustment. The practice only Paralympic-class keelboat with a spinnaker, London 2012 Paralympics. race was the only time they could observe boat organizers opted for national Our heartfelt thank you speed versus competition, with no time to re- flag spinnakers with cost to everyone for believing test adjustments. Boat tuning continued daily mostly subsidized by China. in our dream: MYC and post-race. By the conclusion of 12 races, optimal

SKUD teams covered their ©2008 IFDS Sailability PHI board mem- tuning was still not quite satisfactory. $1000 balance. The PHI team bers, staff and boatyard folk, Single-handed Events. Competitors were were in a bind though. How to for body/mind/soul nourish- as good or more experienced in the single- request funds when the Philip- ment plus fueling develop- handed boat classes. Junior PHI sailors needed pines didn’t own a SKUD? ment of Philippine disabled time to adjust to different conditions, learning An anonymous Australian sailing • Judes Echauz for new things everyday. Adding difficulty to the had heard about our urgent lending customized Bam- course were big waves and strong current. The need, and generously donated bino, the Flying Fifteen • Our more inexperienced PHI sailors were dismayed the Philippine SKUD spinnaker. AUS donor, whose timely when overtaken by boats riding following Bless the man! He saved the PHI team entry, and compassionate spinnaker dona- waves, and were perplexed at how to harness without which we were barred from competi- tion allowed the PHI team to compete the same techniques. Others were frustrated tion. IFDS Technical and organizers expedited • Coach Rico Albeso, for patient after leading in rounding the windward mark, details of SKUD and coach boat chartered from coaching • Claudio Altura, team then losing the lead on the downwind leg or the Chinese team, to get us into the water enabler/manager • George Hackett, losing places in the beat to windward from faster. Chris Mitchell, SKUD 18 designer, taught for much appreciated UK Halsey selecting the less favored side of the course. how to properly prepare our SKUD. We had 3 Sailing gear and for excellent Rudy Project polarized lenses. Also access to Conclusion. Team Philippines’ performance days practice on Fushan Bay, with 11 races in 5 Rudy Project, technical sunglass spon- in the 13th Asian Sailing Championship was days planned for the SKUD fleet. sor • PHILSPADA-NPC Phils., for Para- a big success for the Philippine Sailing Asso- Despite all our effort, the competition lympic support • Swordfish, for UV- ciation; the first time we’ve reached showed why they were the crème de la crème. protected rashguards that made us this position. Awarded These fellow disabled sailors’ resolve, sacrifice missed. He will be greatly ALS. after a long battle with Gold Medalist Nick2 Jan 2009, Scandone passed away Paralympic feel like winners • James and Fifi, our * rd 3 Best Team overall plus time on water–sailing from childhood, wonderful resourceful liaison and beating powerhouse comprehensive elite SKUD training with able officers • Lastly, our Singapore was indeed a bodied national teams and consistent perform- families who kept wonderful achievement! ance in key worldwide Paralympic-class keel- things real.

the manila yacht club 2351 roxas blvd.manila philippines p.o.box 1085 www.manilayachtclub.org