Since its first running in 2004 the All Souls Regatta has become the most popular sailing event in the Philippines.
Every year the event attracts more boats than any other regatta in the country and it is the only event that invites cruising/racing multi-hulls to mix-it-up with the keelboats.
For the first time, in 2006, there was also dinghy racing, using the fleet of ten, made-in-Puerto-Galera Lawin dinghies.
Boats come from all of the other established yacht clubs in the country (Subic Bay, Manila, Taal Lake, Maya Maya, Maricaban Bay, Coron etc.) to the event and the Manila Yacht Club and the Subic Bay Yacht Club organise coincident races to Puerto Galera to ensure maximum participation from the racing community. This year the Coron Yacht Club has reported that it will be organising a special event to encourage all of its members to make their way to Puerto Galera.
What makes the All Souls Regatta so popular? First of all the event is specifically designed to be fun. The overall regatta championship is based upon a performance handicap system giving ALL boats a real chance to win a trophy.
Visiting cruising yachts are encouraged to participate and they are given special dispensation in the handicapping in recognition of the extra weight they carry.
We cater for the out-and-out racers as well by including an IRC class. This class attracts some of the South East Asia Region’s top racing boats that compete on the scenic courses configured up and down the Verde Passage. This year it is planned to add windward/leeward races to the IRC racing itinerary.
The country’s premier Hobie 16 fleet will mark their third year of participation in the event when they come down from their Taal Lake home and strut their stuff, cheek-by-jowl with the larger boats.
We also cater for visitors who come to Puerto Galera without boats but who want to enjoy sailing in the pristine waters of the Verde Passage. By tradition, anyone who is present at the skipper’s briefing on the morning of each race-day will be found a crew position on one boat or another. Some participants make a special effort to take as many visitors aboard as possible so that next year even more boats will participate.
The regatta features a unique race start system. All races start in Boquete Bay to provide spectacle for visitors and residents alike but because the bay is relatively small it is difficult to safely arrange simultaneous race starts. Thus, we have developed a staggered starting system that aims instead to have all boats pursue each other around the courses and arrive at the finish line together. A boat’s start time is decided by the race handicappers based upon the boat’s performance and the prevailing weather conditions; start times are adjusted daily to take account of anomalous performances and varied winds. The main benefit of this race format is that all crews arrive back at the clubhouse at almost the same time and, as the results are already known (the first to cross the finish line is the winner), the celebrations, commiserations and excuses can start immediately.
The event is known for its excellent sailing breezes and is designed to coincide with the start of the North East monsoon (“Amihan”) season. In past years competitors have enjoyed 10-18 knots of breeze with only a few light patches.
Protests during the All Souls Regatta are discouraged – everyone is here to have fun. If a skipper feels that s/he has no other recourse then their protest must be delivered to the race committee attached to a case of chilled beer within 60 minutes of finishing the race.
If you can plan to be in or around Puerto Galera at Halloween then the most fun you can have will be at the All Souls Regatta organised by the Puerto Galera Yacht Club.
