Chavez, pal rule Hobie race at Cubi

Ridgely Balladares and Rommel Chavez, racing for the first time in the Hobie 16 catamaran class, ruled the sixth Philippine Hobie 16 National and Open Championships last weekend at the Cubi Point beach facility.

Balladares and Chavez, more at home with the 470 monohull class where they won the silver in the 2001 Malaysian SEA Games, ruled the event over a field of 19 teams from the host Subic Bay Yacht Club and visitors from the Philippine Sailing Association, Taal Lake Yacht Club, Manila Yacht Club, Cebu, Davao, Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and the Hong Kong Hobie Club.

Eleven teams qualified for the Nationals (both helm and crew being Philippine Nationals) and six for the masters division (with helms being of 45 years or older) of the event sponsored by Waling Orchids.

Second in the open division were David Yourrief and David Levinge of RHKYC. Third was last year’s champion, Italian Luigi Manzi, crewed by local Eleanor Singson who also won the Masters division for TLYC.

Rex Puentespiña and J.B. Dimayuga came second in the Nationals and TLYC commodore Peter Capotosoto second in the Masters division with new partner George Wang.

Meanwhile, actor Diether Ocampo and TLYC’s senior instructor Nestor Soriano secured third place in both the Masters and National classes.

On Saturday the northeasterly Amihan winds started strong but were countered by sea breezes in the afternoon, giving race officer Jerry Rollin and his team lots of work shifting the buoys to maintain correct course orientation. The next day the Amihan winds blew hard all day, causing several teams to capsize.

The event was sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission and co-organized by TLYC and the Philippine Hobie Challenge Foundation.

PSC commissioner Cynthia Carrion, who helped collate the results, also awarded the trophies to the winners along with SBYC managing director Mari Vargas.

The championship is the first event in the SBYC’s renewed push to run more sailing events in Subic Bay.

Next in the calendar is the President’s Cup Regatta, co-organized by the Manila Yacht club, April 23-26.

Meanwhile, the next Hobie 16 event is the Philippine Hobie Challenge (Feb 1-8) where the PHCF hopes to see as many as 25 teams racing from Donsol, Sorsogon down to Alegre Beach Resort in Cebu.

The Hobie 16 is being proposed for inclusion in the 2005 Manila SEA Games where the Philippines stands a good chance to win the gold.