Bulabog Beach, Boracay Island - Day 1 of the 15th Boracay International Funboard Cup ended with 66 participants from 13 countries registering for the 6-day event. Korea came in full force with 26 racers led by one-time Boracay Cup champion Mr. Suh Yong Keun followed by the Philippines with 19 participants. Other countries represented were Antigua, Australia, Denmark, France, Guam, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, UK and the USA.
Racers to watch out for are defending champion Robbie Radis from Australia, Alex Mowday from Penghu-Taiwan, Keiichi Kobayashi from Guam, and Visegrip Fajermo and German Paz from the Philippines. The ladies will not fall behind unmentioned as Rachel Ng from Singapore returns to try her luck against winds and defending Ladies Champion Nenette Graf of the Philippines. Nenette joins this year’s competition be-medalled from her victory in the Jeju Open International Windsurfing Festival where she won the gold in the course race discipline and the bronze in the slalom event.
A welcome night dinner was hosted by Aklan Gov. Florencio Miraflores at Willy’s Beach Resort with special guests Shane Smart from Proteus, organizer of the Adecco-Asian Windsurfing Tour, Mr. Kim Nam Yong, president of the Korean Funboard Association, and Mr. Kim Soo Chel, president of the Jeju Korean Windsurfing Association.
Day 2 sailed off with winds consistently blowing at 16-18 knots. Eager racers patiently wait by the shores for the tide to come in as the first race kicked off at 1PM,
For the next 5 days of the Cup, the events that will be run are the downwind slaloms, the speed trials, the Fosters Forward Loop and the Winduro, a one-hour non-stop high wind race.
The 15th Boracay International Funboard Cup is the 4th leg of the Adecco-Asian Windsurfing Tour, having run its course in 3 other Asian countries: the Penghu Pro-Am in Penghu, Taiwan; the Monsoon Madness in Kuantan, Malaysia; and the Amslam at Mana Mana in Bintan, Indonesia. The 5th and last leg is the Marianas Open in Saipan on February 12-16 2003. This is brought to you by Asian Spirit, Maui and Sons, the Department of Tourism, the Municipality of Malay, Aklan, the tour sponsors Neil Pryde, Foster’s Beer, Philippine Airlines and media partners Action Asia and Philstar.com.
For more information on the event, visit the Cup website at www.windsurfingphilippines.com/bfc/