PGYC News March 2022

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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