Three Hobie Champs in Philippines

by Jerry Rollin on 22 Oct 2008 International Hobie 16 Championships and 11th Philippine Hobie National Championships, Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th February 2009
and
10th Philippine Hobie Challenge, Monday 9th to Saturday 14th February 2009


A Revised Notice of Race for the 10th Philippine Hobie Challenge has been issued and published on the event website (www.philhobie.com)

Originally, it was intended to hold the International and National Championships on the 31 January and 01 February, the weekend before the Challenge. Now the International and National Championships will be held at Laiya, Batangas, immediately prior to the Challenge.

It is expected that all participants in the 10th Hobie Challenge, which is limited to 25 entries, will compete in both events.

The International and National Championships will consist of two days of short course racing with classes for Filipino Nationals, International Open, Ladies, Veterans and Youth.

The Philippine Hobie Challenge consists of two series of races. The Challenge Series which consists of five day races with competitors sailing up to 10 hours each day between island campsite locations. The Inshore Series consists of five races, each lasting approximately one hour. These races will take place in Romblon and in Boracay at the end of the Challenge Series.

The Challenge route starts in Laiya, Batangas, with the first overnight stop at Tres Reyes, on the west coast of Marinduque. The second day ends at a beautiful Romblon beach where the Challenge will stay for two nights. On the third day there will be two Inshore Series races and a longer race around the nearby islands. On the fourth day the teams sail the full length of Tablas Island to a campsite on the southern tip. The fifth and last day of the Challenge takes the event around islands and ends on a beautiful Boracay beach.

Challenge Teams consist of two or three sailors with normally only two sailing at a time while the third crew member enjoys being a tourist for the day or helps with managing the event. Every day the personal baggage, boat spares, tents, food, drink, camping equipment and administration personnel are loaded onto the transport boats and moved to the next campsite.

The length of the course each day will be determined by the Race Officer considering the distance to the next campsite and the wind conditions. If the wind is light and the forecast does not indicate more wind later in the day, the course will be set directly to the next location. If there is good wind then the course will be set to go around islands and buoys to give a predicted length of 5 to 8 hours sailing. The concept is for sailors to have the best day's sailing possible with a planned arrival at the new location in the afternoon so they can explore and enjoy the beautiful island they are visiting.

The early arrival will also provide a chance for the sailors to be involved in the Hobie Foundation's outreach programme. In the last nine years the Hobie Challenge has passed through some of the most beautiful out-of-the-way places in the Philippines. Sailors noticed that many of the villages lacked some of the basics of life, because they were out of the main stream. In one school visit recently by the sailors it was found that as well as a general lack of books, the school did not even have a blackboard for their teacher to write on.

During the 10th Challenge the Foundation will be visiting five villages and taking to them school books, educational videos, blackboards and chalk, and a plan is afoot to take to some of the villages that need it a basic solar powered electricity systems so they can have free light and power without the expense of running a generator.

The Philippine Hobie Challenge Foundation is a non-stock non-profit Foundation that has the objectives of providing funding for the development of sailing throughout the Philippines, to provide a sailing school with boats and equipment, to fund and organize The Philippine Hobie Challenge and Hobie Traveller Series every year as well as to fund an outreach programme to benefit remote sea communities.

For more details, please contact:
Philippine Hobie Challenge Foundation,
2/F Corinthian Plaza,
121 Paseo De Roxas, Makati City, Philippines.
Attention: Peter Capotosto
Tel: +632 894 0396
Fax: +632 811 3301
Cell: +63 917 838 3726
e mail: phc@philhobie.com
Web: www.philhobie.com

Supporters include:
Taal Lake Yacht Club, Sandy Sandoval, MHYC, Synergy Marine Services, Rubberducky, Noel Lim, Philippine Navy, Philippine Coastguard,
Philippine National Police