Clipper Round-The-World Subic Bay
When The Going Gets Tough Subic Bay Beckons
In 2006, when the Clipper Round-The-World fleet was battered by a strong NE monsoon while traversing the South China Sea from Singapore to China, they sought a place of refuge that offered safe habour, and a place to repair boats & rejuvenate the crew. They chose Subic Bay.
In 2020, with the World in the grip of fears about the Corona Virus (covid-19) outbreak, centered on Asia (and, in particular, their intended destination: China), the Clipper Round-The-World fleet sought safe harbour, and a place to replenish supplies & to allow crews to relax in preparation for the next leg of their adventure – to cross the Pacific Ocean to Seattle. They chose Subic Bay.
Eleven, 75-foot Clipper Round-The-World racing yachts are currently berthed in the untroubled waters of the Subic Bay Yacht Club, located within the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Freeport Zone, in Zambales. The yacht crews have spent the past three days repairing and replenishing the yachts with supplies. When they have had free time they are enjoying some of the many recreational attractions that Subic Bay Freeport has on offer, while some have explored farther afield and discovered the some of Zambales’s other beauty spots and activity venues.
Why do ocean wanderers choose Subic Bay?
Subic Bay offers yachts visiting the Philippines a safe and secure marina facility, not found in elsewhere the country. The Subic Bay Yacht Club facilities rival most marina yacht clubs around the World, with: restaurants, a club house, accommodation, swimming pools, a gymnasium and experienced marina management that ensures any request can be handled within a timely fashion.
Additionally, within the Freeport there are no less than three haul-out facilities where yachts may be inspected and repaired on dry-land if required. The country’s best stocked yacht chandler – Broadwater Marine Yacht Supplies – is just a short walk from the marina. The Freeport is also home to a fleet of charter seaplanes that can take adventurers to almost any part of the Philippine archipelago.
Less than an hour’s drive from Clark International Airport, Subic Bay connects the visiting yacht masters and crew to the rest of the World.
For the Clipper Round-The-World fleet there is yet another advantage. Currently, all sails for the Clipper yachts are supplied by World renowned sailmaker: Hyde Sails. Although Hyde Sails is a UK brand, with a long tradition of designing sails (for both cruising and racing yachts), its main manufacturing facility is right here in the Philippines – in Mactan, Cebu. Sail repairs and modifications can be rapidly addressed as Mactan, Cebu, is just a one-and-a-half hour flight from Clark International Airport.
So, when the going gets tough for yacht crews, and tourists, the first safe choice can easily be Subic Bay, and the Philippines.
Editor’s Notes:
- In 1969 Sir Robin Konx-Johnston was the first person to circumnavigate the World in a sailing yacht, non-stop and single-handed
- The racing sails for the 2019-20 Clipper Round-The-World Race are made by Hyde Sails in Mactan, Cebu, Philippines
- The current fleet of Clipper 70 sailing yachts, for the 2019-20 Clipper Round-The-World Race were design by Tony Castro (Portugal) and built in Qingdao, China
- The Clipper Round-The-World Race is held approximately every two years and this 2019-20 Clipper Round-The-World Race is the 12th in the series
Further information:
- Clipper Round-The-World Race : www.clipperroundtheworld.com
- Subic Bay Yacht Club : subicbayyachtclub.ph
- Hyde Sails : www.hydesails.asia
- Broadwater Marine Yacht Supplies : www.broadwatermarine.com