All Souls Regatta | PGYC Regattas

Tony Stephens working hard aboard Tayana Lady

The fifth Six-Pack Series race took place on Saturday, June 04, 2022, under a dazzling blue sky with not a lot of wind, making it a hot but stunningly visual day if not ideal racing conditions. The wind was from the SW and consistent at 4-8knts apparent. However, that didn’t slow down the competitive action with quite a tussle around the first-mark and an intense duel between Columbus and Neptunus on the beat-leg. Columbus took first place with Neptunus in second place. Tayana Lady was DNF, but provided us with good pictures of the action.

Race #4 took place under brilliant sunshine on Saturday, May 07, 2022. Another hot day on the water, but with 14-16knts of wind, gusting up to 22knts, making it a great day’s sailing. The new ‘quasi-trapezoid’ course was a nice change with short legs covering all points of sailing, one after the other. Columbus was once again first over the line (something to do with that big red Code Zero) followed by Mike Tucker and Commodore Tony on Tayana Lady who were really flying along with their shiny new bottom job. Camille still in boat-shake-down mode was DNF, bit all had a great day in the water.

Race #6 will be on 2nd July 2022 (final race in this series – the new Six-Pack series starts in August 2022), and the usual short form NORI document will be issued-out in due course.

As part of the Sailing Committee’s brief to bring PGYC sailing to the forefront again as per recent AGM mandate, the Committee has purchased perpetual regatta and race trophies to be awarded to the overall winner of the Easter Regatta, All Souls Regatta and the Six-Pack Series.

The trophies were sponsored by Tricom Projects and will complement the existing Christmas and Chinese New Year Regatta trophies. We have a full suite of perpetual trophies for all current major PGYC regattas. It is also intended to additional perpetual trophy add an additional perpetual trophy once the proposed ‘Round Mindoro, Four Islands Race’ is fully established.

A display shelf for all trophies is now being made and will be installed in the Clubhouse Bar area alongside the new Six-Pack Series leader board. The committee will review the club files and engrave all past overall winners on the respective trophies, beginning with Seahawk / Mark Amdal as the overall winner of the 2022 Easter Regatta, to be followed soon by the Six-Pack Series winner in June.

While many of the PGYC Fun Sailors group are busy fun sailing elsewhere, cruising the various islands and waters of the Philippines, Columbus has stayed the course with two recent outings. Most recently John and crew, with the EACY divers group aboard headed off to Sombrero Island for a day’s diving and BBQ lunch. They took the scenic route back via Caban and Bonito Island islet passages noting a number of beaches to be explored on future outings. The trip over was one of glassy seas and little wind, with a slight sou’wester on the way back, so motor sailing was the order of the day. It was a great day for diving and the divers reported that the diving at Sombrero Island is ‘fantastic’.

Columbus also took a trip over to Lobo recently. Lobo is a third-class municipality located in the south of Batangas, and known as a haven of light gray, sandy beaches, mangrove forests and a sanctuary for the many schools of fish frequent this protected area. 

While there was very little wind going there, a decent breeze brought them home. All-in-all it was a three-hour trip to get there (under cloudy skies that cleared in the afternoon. A bit of excitement for all when the engine alarm went off a few hundred meters off of the Lobo foreshore. The engine had thrown the engine FW/alternator belt, so it was out with the headsail and onto a broad reach. The belt was changed (always carry a spare) under sail.

The general consensus was that Lobo was okay, but better value in going the extra distance around the lighthouse point to Laiya Beach.

After a more than two-year hiatus due COVID-19 lockdowns and safety protocols that suspended face-to face classes and training programs like the PGYC Small Boat Program (SBP) our local youth are now back on the water.

The weekly training courses are currently run by seasoned staff members Mavic ? and Joel ?, with our local young sailors doing a half-day session on Sundays and the Stairways Foundation’s* students doing the same on Fridays.

The SBP program was started in 2005 to introduce sailing to the local schools and with a long-term plan to improve the livelihood and income of the town by promoting Puerto Galera as a water sports and sail training destination.

The program provides free sailing for students from local schools on weekend, and gives them the chance to develop social, as well as sailing and sports skills, through healthy, carefully supervised competition. The program also rents the dinghies and runs Basic, Intermediate and Advanced level dinghy sailing courses catering to visiting family groups from Manila and tourists to help support the scheme.

More than 500 youngsters have participated in the SBP to date and our best young sailors compete in regattas in Subic Bay, Puerto Princessa, Punta Fuergo and Manila, including the National Games. Two of our graduates have sailed with the Philippines National team in regattas in Malaysia and have represented the Philippines at the World Mirror Dinghy Championships in Australia (2011) and Ireland (2013). In the latter they finished 8th overall out of a fleet of more than 90 crews from the best dinghy sailing countries in the World.

The SBP has a fleet of 10 Lawin (local-made and modified Mirror-class dinghies) and 10 Olympic-class, Optimist dinghies made possible by members’ donations and the Hong Kong based charity, Round Table 10.

*The Stairway Foundation Inc. is a non-stock, non-profit, non-government child-care organization located in Aninuan, Puerto Galera. It an alternative education program for the marginalized and endangered street children of the Philippines.

Is your boat (skiff, jet-ski, sailing dinghy, sailing yacht, speed boat, motor yacht) in the Philippines? and, is your boat Registered somewhere? If “yes” to both then you do not need to read this:

from 30th June, 2022, if your boat is within Philippine waters and is not Registered in the Philippines nor anywhere else then your boat may be impounded by Philippine Coast Guard and you may have to pay a fine (unspecified) in order to regain possession of it.

During the past five years MARINA – the Maritime Industry Authority, responsible for regulations that affect all water-craft – has developed a simple registration system for Recreational Boats (sailing, powered, on-water craft, under-water craft, over-water craft). During the same period MARINA have been open to register any Recreational Boat, whether new or second-hand, whether currently registered or not, whether out of registry in another country or not, without penalty.

Registering your Recreational Boat under Philippine Registry can be accomplished through email in the first instance, with a follow-up of cash payment and presentation of original documents at your nearest MARINA office. The Philippine Registration covers a period of five years and the Registration Fee is typically Php5,000 – Php10,000, depending on a computation of boat Length Overall and Maximum Beam measurements.

You will be required to complete an Application Form and email this to your nearest MARINA ofiice along with: four photographs (bow, stern, port-side and starboard-side); proof of ownership (Proof of Purchase or Affirmation of Ownership); identification document of the Owner(s) (Philippine ID, Passport, Certificate of Incorporation etc.); and, a “sketch” plan of the boat (could be from the Internet).

A week or so later MARINA will email to you an Authority To Accept Payment (ATAP), which you must pay over-the-counter in cash (no debit/credit cards accepted). A week or so later, MARINA will send to you a copy of the Registration document and Certificate of Ownership by email. You should keep copies of both documents, on the boat or with the person in-charge of the boat, at all times while navigating. Original-stamped versions of these two documents may be collected from MARINA after a few weeks.

Note: you should make you application for Registration at the MARINA office nearest to your place of residence or the nearest MARINA office to where the boat is normally kept.

If you need assistance you may contact Martyn Willes and he will point you in the right direction.<mwilles@pgyc.org>

This year’s Furthur adventures started with a passage from Subic Bay to PGYC for the holidays. We celebrated Christmas at the club house with the famous PGYC Christmas lunch. During the feast the mystical barefoot Santa Clause and his trusty elf passed out gifts from the members to the staff, grabbing a hug or two along the way.

After a mellow New Years Eve, some epic exploring and diving the crew cast off the mooring lines and we left our beloved PGYC. Relishing in the glory of a rare flat calm passage through Calavite Passage, we dropped the hook inside Apo Reef for a solitary star-studded night. Not sure of the regulations and proceeding by the rule “better to ask forgiveness than permission” I took Priam for an epic dive at Apo. He saw his first shark! As there have been few if any divers for two years the abundant fish populations seemed unmoved by our presence.

Again, in pure “trawler weather” calm seas we made the loop around Busuanga Island and returned to another of our “homes”, Busuanga Bay. On assignment to cover the newly-minted Busuanga Bay Regatta, we waited in solitude for the fleet to arrive. Soon the bay filled with racers, crews and the party was on.

Leaving our Coron friends, old and new, we ventured around the tip of Palawan and down to El Nido. We were pleased to see this divine little town had come back to life after Covid. We enjoyed beach parties, diving and even put on El Nido’s first Hash Run.

After waiting out a five day blow another window opened up and we headed back around the tip of El Nido, across the open water to the tiny island of Cuyo, then across to Nasu Pt where we dropped the hook right in front of a hot springs. After a long soak into the dark hours and a bit of sleep we headed to Tambobo Bay. Hiring motorbikes, we made the 261 steps to another hot springs gem. Sadly, the pools in this jungle oasis had been destroyed by a recent typhoon generated landslide. Priam and I worked with a local guy and made our own pool, combining the boiling water from the spring with the cool creek water, it was sublime.

Witches, rope swings and tiny fish nibbling at your toes awaited us at Siquijor Island’s land of enchantment. We grabbed the courtesy mooring at a five-star resort for a couple magical days.

A stop at Bohol to see tiny, big eyed critters, Chocolate Hills, and cave pools, then off to Cebu. A large low-pressure system approaching we took sanctuary at Porter’s Marina for a week. Renting a car for exploring, we enjoyed big Malls, city life, and a couple trips into the mountains.

Seeking solid Internet for Priam’s exam week we anchored in the protection of Palompon town. Then off to the gem of the area, Calangaman Island. With bath warm crystal clear water, impeccable white sandy beaches and small picnic areas on shore this place became a favorite.

We found other cruisers in the Medio Island group and were welcomed by a local character for a house party, a place we will return to for sure. Priam’s school finished we dropped him off at Sorsogon Bay after celebrating his birthday and Papa’s with a village outing to the local hot springs.

Now without our beloved son, the much quieter Furthur headed back to PGYC to finish our epic year of cruising from where we started. Next stop Subic Bay for repairs and a little R&R.

Magayon II, a 26-foot Wharram design catamaran and probably the smallest yacht in the PGYC fleet, recently made the journey from Puerto Galera to Botolan, Zambales. A regular competitor in the PGYC regattas, Magayon II is regularly outclassed by the larger cruising Multihulls, but that doesn’t faze her feisty skipper, Miriam and the Gummert family crew, who more times than not manage to place in each regatta.

The Gummert family usually sail Magayon II from Puerto Galera down to Pandan Island every year for a family holiday, a trip of 90nm, so the 145nm trip to Botolan was not considered a stretch. The journey took four days sailing an average speed of 5.4kts under sail and 3.6knts under motor in mixed conditions of both strong winds and high waves, and little wind with slight seas. The crew, father Martin and daughter Miriam, lived on board for the journey and mum Mavic provided land support following by car in case of difficulties. Setting off on May 13, Day 1 saw them travel from Puerto Galera to Calatagan, Day 2 to Mariveles, Day 3 to Anawangin, Subic, and then the final leg on Day 4 to Sundowner Villas at Botolan, arriving in the late afternoon on the May 16.

A highlight of the trip was sleeping under the moon and the fluorescence in Calaguagin Bay.

Jeremy Flint from Makati City, Metro Manila, who has recently taken our Basic SBP Sailing Course and is keen to do more sailing activities. He plans to be a regular at the club and will work his way through the levels of the SBP Sailing Courses.

Michael Bridges is the new owner of the Farrier F-44SC catamaran Tiamat and will be here later this month to start work on outfitting her and getting her ready for cruising. We hope he has time to join the PGYC fleet in a regatta or two before he sets sail.

Jason Ellis recently arrived in Puerto Galera, having sailed his 28’ sloop Fleeting Glimpse from Perth, Western Australia with his fiancé, Wenifreda Acson.

Branimir Bumbak Croatin who is the proud new owner of Logoff.

Jason Ellis and his financé Wen Acson sailed into Puerto Galera in early June aboard Fleeting Glimpse, a 28-foot sloop after a six-month journey from Fremantle, Western Australia. Jason sailed the first leg of the journey from Freemantle to Samal Island, Mindanao in just over a month with a stop in Indonesia for fuel. Wen joined him in Samal and they spent a couple of months exploring Davao and the Davao Gulf before setting off for Puerto Galera via the east coast of Mindanao in May.

This was a much more leisurely trip taking in the sights along the way with Jason and Wen arriving Puerto Galera some 26 days later. Jason has joined the Club and has taken a mooring in Muelle. He and Wen are setting down roots in Puerto Galera having bought land last year in Sinandigan and they plan to start building later this year.

Welcome aboard Jason and Wen!

All Souls Regatta 2022 – three days of the best of yacht racing and camaraderie in the Philippines set against the challenging conditions and stunning vistas of the Verde Island Passage. All Souls Weekend: last weekend of October. Watch this space for final dates and Notice of Race.

images by Terry Duckham and Maricar ‘Girlie’ Cervantes

(L to R) Papaya II, Bellatrix, Karakoa

The longest running sailing event in the Philippines has just finished in Puerto Galera. With 14 yachts participating this made for the largest yacht racing fleet since the start of the COVID pandemic and with them brought hope that the safety and travel protocols, that we have all endured for more than two years, may finally be behind us.

Of particular note was the participation of yachts from Subic Bay and Punta Fuego in the IRC racing-class. These were Bellatrix, Hurricane Hunter, Karakoa and Selma Star.

New courses and a new race-start format were one feature of this year’s event. Gang-starts became the norm for IRC and Cruiser-Racer divisions, while Cruiser and Multihull divisions retained the time-honored staggered, pursuit racing start format.

gang starts: (L to R) Karakoa, Selma Star, Hurricane Hunter, Bellatrix (foreground)

The participation of the race management staff, led by Jerry Rollins, from the Philippine Sailing Association added a new dimension to the on-water race organization for the IRC and Cruiser Racer divisions.

Thanks to typhoon Malakas – moving North and away from the Philippine’s East coast – the first race-day saw an unusual anomaly for the IRC and Cruiser Racing divisions insomuch as the breeze along the Verde Passage was from the West, instead of the usual more favorable easterly winds. Thus, the start / finish line for the IRC and Cruiser Racing divisions could not be moved because it was somewhat set in stone by the published Sailing Instructions, so the racers were started westward, towards Talipanan Beach, for the windward-leeward races. The Cruiser and Multihull divisions were unaffected by the change and happily started as usual within Puerto Galera Bay, off Lane’s Pier.

In the IRC division fierce competition between Jun Villanueva’s Bellatrix and Ray Ordoveza’s Karakoa was evident, with Karakoa intent on overcoming their defeat (by seconds it should be noted) during the Punta Fuego Regatta in March. Jun Avecilla’s Selma Star, the actual star of the Punta Fuego regatta, was there to mix up the second and third places after Karakoa showed her true colors (and knowledge of the tidal flows) and won both the windward-leeward races of the day.

Bellatrix chasing Karakoa

Alan Burrell’s Farr 1104 Rags, in the Cruiser Racer division, showed she still had the winning edge and outperformed the newer yachts in the experienced and skillful hands of owners Alan and Suzie Burrell.

Farr 1104 Rags leading in the Cruiser Racer division

The Cruiser and Multihull divisions had a challenging day negotiating the wind shadow behind Maricaban Island, but still managed to perform above expectations in the relatively light breezes. Mark Amdal’s Seahawk, the newly renovated Cal 30, impressed with her dedication to the task.

Day two, with the traditional easterly breezes in evidence, was more of a stretch for the IRC and Cruiser Racer division yachts with a rounding of Verde Island and, in particular, the avoidance of the rocky outcrop on the East end of the island. The wind on the day favored the back of the fleet and saw Selma Star take first place followed by Bellatrix in second place. Albert Altura’s Hurricane Hunter, offered an entertaining spinnaker run to the finish, but could only achieve third place after the ratings were applied.

Day 2 IRC 1st Place Selma Star

The final day saw the IRC and Cruiser Racers heading for the eastern tip of Verde Island again, but with a run down to Small Tabinay Beach before the finish. The wind and tidal flows favored a direct beat to Verde Island and Karakoa stretched her legs and was about four minutes clear (corrected time) at the mark. However, on the run to Small Tabinay the wind lightened at the front of the fleet and increased at the rear with both Selma Star and Bellatrix closing the gap.

The weather gods then intervened and two thunderstorms, one over Batangas Bay and the other over Calapan, changed the state of the play and caused the winds to swing to the North. Karakoa had tacked well out into the Verde Island Passage and was able to slip around Escarceo Point in a timely fashion while the remainder of the fleet was compelled to tack backwards and out towards Calapan. This resulted in an convincing win for Karakoa well in front of Selma Star and Bellatrix who finished in that order, with Rags once again take the honors in the Racing Cruiser class. The PGYC’s venerable, but sleek, 94-year-old 8-metre yacht Anthea consistently took second place on all three days with Irresistible and Papaya II mixing it up for third place.

Of particular note in Cruiser division was the performance of the Cal 30, Seahawk. Seahawk rounded the Small Tabinay mark just seconds ahead of Karakoa then followed her line to Escarceo Point and, despite her diminutive size (30 vs 53 feet, and ever shorter waterline length), managed to finish the race only 35 minutes behind the winner. If Seahawk ever applied for IRC rating certification she could probably cream the big boats in every race.

Seahawk leads Karakoa rounding Small Tabinay Mark

The real entertainment however, remained the final turn and the run along Long Beach to the finish off Haligi Beach. Karakoa finally mastered the predictable gusts out of the Manila Channel and finished with full spinnaker. Hurricane Hunter and Michael Raueber’s Emocean I both demonstrated the need for additional crew training when handling an out of control spinnaker – at one point it looked as though Hurricane Hunter may T-bone the finish-line boat but opted for a very wet spinnaker instead – while Rags and Selma Star showed that caution before the wind was more important than seconds gained in the final moments.

Michael Raueber’s Emocean I closing on the finish line

Overall a fantastic three days of racing for the IRC and Cruiser Racers, with Karakoa and Rags establishing their dominance. Seahawk was the victor in the minute Cruiser division as was Kareem Magill’s Soniya in the similarly minute Multihull division. Special mention should also be made of the diminutive 7.92m DIY Wharram-design Magayon II, built and sailed by the Gummert family, for their perseverance and a consistence second place in the multi-hull division.

Wharram 26 Magayon II competes with Kareem Magill’s Soniya

A Special Thank You to the event sponsors for their continued support: Royal Cargo, Broadwater Marine, Tricom Projects, Semper Green Energy and Wisdom . . . and all of the people who make the regattas in Puerto Galera so much more fun.

If the pandemic remains in abatement then the prospects are very good for the Philippine’s largest yachting event at the end of October – the All Souls Regatta, also in Puerto Galera; mark your calendars for October 30, 2022 !!

The PNP Maritime Division team based in Puerto Galera provided their two highspeed pursuit craft for dual use as safety and photography boats. A very special thank you to the crews and team leaders who enabled such excellent cover of the race from the water.

The same team recently answered a mayday call from one of the PGYC yachts. Dany II had lost its engine and was battling a particular aggressive combination of Verde Island Passage winds and currents in five metre seas, which was forcing them steadily west towards Lubang Island. After a long and exhausting overnight struggle during which Dany II had been in radio contact with the yacht club via Colin McLean on Karis a call was put into the Coast Guard and the PNP Maritime team mobilised. They located Dany II at the western entrance to the Verde Island Passage and brought them safely home after a four-hour tow. It is good to know that Puerto Galera now has the facilities for such search and rescue assistance and well done PNP Maritime Division.

Lost In Asia as Race Committee Boat

Another special ‘thankyou’ goes to Peter Baird who generously provided his power yacht ‘Lost in Asia’ to act as the Philippine Sailing Association/PGYC Committee Boat,

The club’s new deep-water marks were used for the first time during the Easter Regatta to enable to IRC and Racer Cruisier windward and leeward races to take place.

In the past the regattas with PGYC regatta courses have been constrained and restricted by our ability to set marks, given the quickly deepening water around Puerto Galera and the Verde Island Passage. Because of this, courses were set around islands and marks were set close to the beaches. This was not always optimal for wind angles or for formal racing formats such as conventional windward-leeward courses.

In preparation for the PGYC Easter Regatta 2022 (PGYC in collaboration with PSA), four deep-water marks were designed and purchased to PGYC and PSA specifications. These were tested by PGYC staff and Racing Committee members in the week prior to the regatta and then further setting training provided by PSA and Jerry Rollin. They were then set out each day and monitored using the ocean RIB sponsored and owned by Royal Cargo. This enabled the regatta to accommodate the IRC racing class division for the first time in the almost 30-year history of PGYC regattas, and also accommodate four different race divisions operating two different courses, start and finish lines. The IRC yachts have raced in the PGYC regattas previously but only in the PGYC pursuit racing format and not as a IRC division. Without the deep-water setting marks this could not have been possible and marks are now able to be set to a depth of 200 metres.

The deep-water setting mark systems were generously sponsored by Tricom Projects Inc., and manufactured by long-standing PGYC regatta sponsor Broadwater Marine Inc.

Another glorious day out on the water for Race #3 of the Six-Pack Race Series on April 09. After the Skipper’s Briefing and lunch at the Clubhouse … well, more the odd chat from the barstools about the afternoon’s racing, Cape North, Irresistible, Camille and Columbus headed off in staggered-pursuit formation. Apologies from Seahawk due to the celebration of a wedding anniversary that day (forgotten or overlooked perhaps?).

The sun shining with 16-18knts of breeze, gusting up to 22knts (apparent) at one point, and the seas were calm. It was a great afternoon’s sailing and a very useful shake-down for the Easter Regatta the following week. Everyone was back to the clubhouse in time for BBQ night, which enjoyed a solid turnout.
Columbus took line honors and first place exactly one minute ahead of Irresistible.
Unfortunately, Cape North and Camille ventured out into the Verde Island Passage’s tidal current and opted for a DNF.

Race #4 of the ‘Six-Pack Race Series’ scheduled for Saturday, 7th May 2022.

The feedback from the survey among the recent PGYC Easter Regatta participants for the ‘Four Islands Race 2023’ was very positive. A number of boats suggesting that a two-three day stopover in Boracay for inshore racing should be included in the race program to provide an R&R respite from what will be a gruelling 600 nautical mile race if raced non-stop, and provide publicity and PR opportunities for media and sponsors.

We wrote about the new Clubhouse Menu in the last edition of the PGYC News, but a lot of thought, work and taste testing has gone into fine turning it. Coming to you in early May.

Last year the club subscribed to the Oriental Mindoro Emergency Services (ORMEMS) paramedic and ambulance services based in Puerto Galera. Founded and operated by Klaus Huber an ex-Austrian military paramedic residing in Puerto Galera ORMEMS provides emergency medical care and transport to Puerto Galera subscribers and now to PGYC members who need assistance while on the premises or engaged in club activities. ORMEMS staff are on standby at the club for every major event and regatta.

Karakoa ahead of Bellatrix on the water
Photo: Barry Dawson

The first significant regatta of 2022, the Punta Fuego Regatta 2022, was held at the Punta Fuego Yacht Club on March 5-6. This was the 19th year that the Punta Fuego Yacht Club has hosted the regatta.

Of particular note the Punta Fuego Regatta 2022 gave five, young PGYC Small Boat Program (SBP) graduates (see Karakoa Team – Punta Fuego Regatta 2022 below) the opportunity to become part of the 14-person crew aboard Ray Ordoveza’s S/Y Karakoa.

Karakoa had been sitting out the COVID pandemic on the hard at Watercraft Venture in Subic Bay. Now refurbished and re-tooled, with a brand new jib, she was eager to blow off the cobwebs. Equipped with a motley crew of never-sailed-together-before (mostly) senior sailors, plus the PG-Five, Karakoa revelled in the moment and promised at least the prospect of line honours.

A total of eight monohull yachts, split between IRC Racer and Cruising Classes, and two cruising catamarans took to the water with an uncertain wind forecast, but with the intent of enjoying some competitive sailing followed by some camaraderie in the after-race meet-ups at the Club Punta Fuego facilities.

The first racing day allowed only two windward leeward races for racing and cruising class before the 7-10 knot breeze abated and eventually died. The day ended with Karakoa and Bellatrix equal first the IRC in racing-class, both having achieved a first and a third, split by Hurricane Hunter and Selma Star, all results calculated using IRC ratings.

The second racing day saw a change in fortune for the fleets, with an earlier start and even a short burst of up to 17 knots of breeze. Karakoa had an entertaining, if potentially damaging, start during the first race when she came into the start-line hard and fast on starboard tack while other yachts were mostly on port tack. There was good reason to protest other yachts for impeding Karakoa‘s progress but she continued without, in the spirit of camaraderie.

The second race of the day was a bit out of the ordinary after Puerto Galera catamaran Myg II captured the windward mark between its hulls and carried it away. This required the race committee mark-boat to lay a new mark while the racing fleet was rapidly approaching on the first beat.

This was also the race where Karakoa‘s port jib-car parted company with its track under pressure, and the jib had to be out-rigged, using a hastily retrieved snatch-block (from the spares-locker) attached to outer track – performance suffered but the racing continued.

A third race was added to the card with Bellatrix easily taking line honours and confirming her place at the top of racing class.

As for the fortunes of Karakoa?

Despite being either first or second across the line in all races she ended up forth in racing class but with only a hand-full of seconds separating her from the others after the IRC rating was applied to elapsed-time – it was obvious that the jib-car was more significant than it appeared. What was also obvious was that, once this crew gets some quality together-time on the water, the future looks very bright for racing success.

Vincent Ruis’s Myg II, ably assisted by former PGYC Commodore Jurgen Langemeier, achieved second overall in the Ocean Multihulls class.

Almost all the participants will be seen again during the three-day PGYC Easter Regatta April 15-17, 2022. All entries and participants welcome.

PGYC’s Tabo, Darius, Jerick, Danial and Jonvic
Photo: Peter Stevens

Last weekend, five young men, some of whom learned to sail together more than 15 years ago in the PGYC Small Boat dinghy sail training program, (and who are now fully employed on local yachts) were chosen to join Ray Ordoveza’s yacht Karakoa in the prestigious Punta Fuego Regatta.

Ray’s plan is to build a core crew to race this famous boat in Regional regattas. A more detailed account of how the weekend went will appear on our website and in Asian Boating Magazine, but after hard, gruelling weekend of tough sailing and even tougher instruction, they learned the hard way that firsts and seconds on the water, leaving the opposition trailing miles behind, don’t always result in podium visits once the dreaded IRC-rating is applied. Nevertheless, some lessons well learned and a great experience. Thanks to Ray and the Karakoa team and a huge WELL DONE to Tabo, Darius, Jerick, Danial and Jonvic (and Peter and Stuart).

PGYC Easter Regatta 2022 poster

After a two-year hiatus, the PGYC Easter Regatta is back. One of the two signature PGYC regattas, the Easter Regatta became a victim of the Philippines’ Pandemic lockdown in 2020. Despite efforts to revive it in 2021 the club was unable to obtain the necessary permissions to hold the regatta last year. With the opening up of Puerto Galera in 2022 the club has been able to obtain the permissions necessary to hold the regatta this Easter on April 15-17.

For details, please go to www.pgyc.org or email clubhouse@pgyc.org. There will be yachts looking for additional crew. We look forward to seeing you here.

Honey Garlic Chicken Breast

PGYC has recently revitalised the clubhouse menu. The old favourites have not been forgotten, but new dishes lead by our new mouth-watering Angus Beef Ribeye (available au naturel or with a variety of sauces) include, the iconic Cebuano dish Chicken Sa Gata, Asia’s favourite Singapore Noodles and Chef Noriel’s Honey Garlic Chicken Breast.

PGYC’s Liver Pâté For Sale

New appertisers to tantalise the taste buds include the new PGYC Chicken Liver Pate (now available over the counter in 200gm portions at both the club and Cadava’s), and two popular Pinoy Pica Pica dishes Kilawin and Kinilaw – best eaten with a cold San Miguel.

In addition, the club now has its own Panni Grill and is offering a delicious Ham & Cheese Panni and our Chef’s own Steak Sandwich for those in need of a quick, tasty snack.

Members are reminded the Clubhouse is closed Monday’s & Tuesday’s HOWEVER drinks from the Bar are still available (please see attending staff)

It was a busy first night for the new Saturday BBQ Night

The PGYC’s popular Friday Night BBQ has moved to Saturday Night. The Friday Night BBQ was tradition that dates back to the club’s earliest days and, remarkably, it has managed to survive the past two years of Pandemic lockdown which has keep both visitors and Manila-based members from joining the popular dining event.

Now that Puerto Galera is open again, the change from Friday to Saturday night is an attempt to cater to the mostly weekend visitors who dominate the visitor arrivals. Our first Saturday BBQ Night was strongly supported by a total of 43 diners, Including Vice-Mayor Marion Lopez’s party. We hope to see you all there the next Saturday night you are visiting Puerto Galera.

PGYC’s signature Baby Back Ribs

The Classic Club, Puerto Galera’s own fine dining aficionado’s club, regularly hold their weekly lunch meetings at the PGYC and they were back again last March 10.

PGYC chef Noriel Gutierrez and his team, did the club proud with a sumptuous menu offering a choice Liver Pate with French Bread (a new addition and most welcome to the menu made to Noriel’s own recipe), Creamy Potato Soup and Eight Treasures Salad as appertisers. These were followed by a choice of the signature PGYC Baby Back Ribs, Garlic Butter Dorado and Honey Garlic Chicken Breast for the Main Course. Please note that all that Garlic is good for both heart and libido. Lunch was rounded off with a dessert of light, fluffy Crepe Suzette.

A total of 16 members of the Classic Club attended this popular event.

Columbus leads Sea Hawk and Irresistible out of the Manila Channel

What a glorious day it was out on the water yesterday for Race #2: Skippers Briefing in Club at noon (with group lunch), over the start-line at 2pm, all finished by 5pm and back to Club for Saturday BBQ Night. Columbus took line honours and first place followed by Irresistible and Seahawk. Sunny conditions prevailed with anywhere from 10-20knts (apparent) of breeze. A small fleet, but a fun day for all.

Columbus’ usual suspects, Tabo, Louren, Jerick and John

Race #3 is now scheduled for 09 April 2022 and will also allow boats and crews a chance to shake-down for the upcoming-following Easter Regatta on Friday, April 15, to Sunday, April 17.

There are moves and discussions afoot (TBC) to make the Easter Regatta another ‘big one’ to rival the PGYC’s All Souls Regattas held at the end of October each year. The plan is to add an IRC Racer Class, to complement the current Racer-Cruiser, Cruiser and Multihull Classes….watch this space.

Well done Soniya, third in the Ocean Multihull Class

Subic-based Selma Star, helmed by the Philippines’ veteran yachtsman Jun Avecilla, took first place in the IRC Racing Class in this annual 135-nautical mile Punta Fuego to Busuanga race. Isabelle, helmed by Tere Marcial, was first in the Cruiser Class and David Sutton’s Poco Loco first in the Ocean Multihull Class.

Jun Villanueva’s Bellatrix once again took line honours in the recent 6th Busunaga Cup, now sponsored by BPI and renamed the BPI Busunga Cup. Bellatrix also took line honours in the Busunga Cup 2020.

Special mention to PGYC sailors Colin McLean’s Karis and David Wheeler’s Free Wheeler for taking fourth and sixth respectively in the Cruiser Class, and Kareem Magill’s Soniya taking third place in the Ocean Multihull Class.

The race took place on February 17-22 and is now in its sixth year. It was followed by a post-race yacht rally which cruised around the Calamanian Island Group for three nights of fun sailing and camaraderie. Now in its second year, the rally is a recreational cruise to explore Palawan’s remote islands and beach coves.

Plans for the inaugural PGYC Mindoro Four Islands Race are moving along and will be shortly announced. Watch this space.

 

The Karis crew, sans Colin and Max the Dog

Big shout out to Colin McClean and Karis, now anchored in El Nido, working on his latest novel titled ‘Four Kids and a Dog’. Karis joined the Busunga Cup 2022 race crewed by Colin, his four children, Beauty, Ace, Claire and Jv, their dog Max and Edger the boatman in February and then the post-race rally. They have continued to cruise and explore Palawan’s many natural wonders, islands, coves and beaches since. Colin sends regular reports back to the club and it sounds like they are all having a ridiculous amount of fun.

 

Great to see No Regrets (formerly Flying Dragon) back on her mooring after work done at Papaya Cove, What a wholly beautiful catamaran she looks now, and a real credit.

 

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