Hi Fidelity, Karakoa duel for supremacy

SUBIC–Hi Fidelity and Karakoa continued their battle for supremacy in the ongoing Smart Infinity-12th President’ Cup Regatta off Subic Bay waters yesterday here.

Neil Pryde’s Welbourne 47 class boat may have won a battle of endurance with Ray Ordoveza’s Excel 53 during a 29-nautical mile-long fourth race the other day.

But Karakoa still emerged as a force to reckon with after ruling the fifth race under the provisional results of the IRC Open Racing Class of this weeklong regatta jointly organized by the Manila Yacht Club and the Subic Bay Yacht Club.

The 7,500 kilogram Hi Fidelity managed to elude Karakoa, Jelik and Stella Minter Ellison during Thursday’s race after the first two boats misjudged a marker buoy, turned hard left and away from the leading boat’s direction.

Pryde’s boat, which has Filipino co-skipper Lyndon Rovesa in charge of sail controls as a pitman, eventually reached the finish line in four hours, 28 minutes and 47 seconds in the final results of the IRC Open Racing Class.

Protests on the position of the second marker buoy which was located a few paces before the finish buoy were turned down by the five-man international jury headed by Masa Ishii.

Karakoa found itself behind by 6/100ths of a second(4:28.53) to Hi Fidelity while Standard Insurance Centennial was third by a second (4:29.47).

In Saturday’s first of two final windward-leeward races, Karakoa bounced back after finishing the 10-nautical mile course ahead of Judes Echauz’s Standard Insurance Centennial in 1:17.03. Echauz’s boat, with Allan Balladares acting as skipper, was 32 seconds behind under the provisional results available as of presstime.

In the IRC Ocean Cruising Class, John Wardill’s Australian Maid continued to keep Martin Tanco’s Challenge and Ian Nicholson’s Intrigue of Stornoway at bay with two more first place finishes.

George Hakcett’s Jo de Ros earned the top honors in Race 5 of the IRC Cruiser Racer Class. But Allan Burrell’s Rags fought off Jo de Ros by ruling Race 6.

Jun Avecilla’s Purpose Driven-supported Selma stayed at the helm of the PY Cruising Class after outlasting Irresistible, Bewitched and Windseeker.

The event is sponsored by Smart Infinity, Standard Insurance and Philippines Airlines with support from Absolute Distilled Water, Tanduay Rhum, Manila Bulletin, Ralph’s Wine and Spirits, and official radio station RJ 100 FM.