Competitive Sailing Flourishes In Subic Bay August 2010
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Image courtesy Girlie Cervantes
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Competitive sailing flourishes in Subic Bay in August with two weekend regattas: the Lighthouse Marina Resort Ninoy Aquino Anniversary Invitational Regatta; and, the Philippine National Hero’s Day Invitational Regatta. The best of the racing and competitive cruising sail boats will be in Subic Bay for these events.
Organized by the Saturday Afternoon Gentleman Sailors (SAGS), supported by The Lighthouse Marina Resort Hotel and the Subic Bay Yacht Club, these two regattas will feature races around Subic Bay and possibly (weather permitting) to some of the nearby islands outside the bay area. Winds in August can be somewhat unpredictable so courses will be set on-the-day to suit the forecast conditions.
The Lighthouse Marina Resort Ninoy Aquino Anniversary Invitational Regatta will be sailed during the holiday weekend of 21st – 22nd August; the Philippine National Hero’s Day Invitational Regatta will be sailed the following holiday weekend of 28th – 29th August. Both regattas will include classes for IRC racing yachts and PY handicap for cruising keelboats, sports boats and multihulls. Boats that have never sailed in Subic Bay before will be welcomed with open arms and given a PY rating appropriate to their comparative potential performance.
If you enjoy competitive sailing but are not sure whether you would like to bring your boat to Subic Bay then you need to know that there are keelboats and sports boats (Platus) for rent during the events. Similarly, if you don’t have a boat but still want to go sailing, contact the organizers in advance as there will definitely be crew places available for anyone with some modicum of experience in sailing.
Subic Bay is located about two hours drive northwest of Manila or, about 45 minutes West of Clark / Angeles City. If you are flying into the Philippines for one or both of these regattas then getting transportation from Manila (NAIA) is relatively easy and inexpensive, with a choice of air-conditioned public buses or private-hire taxis and mini-vans. From Clark it is a little more involved because there are only private-hire taxis direct from Clark International Airport (DMIA) to Subic Bay, unless you first go into Angeles City where the choice expands to air-conditioned tourist buses as well as air-conditioned public buses.
Accommodation in Subic Bay in August is also relatively easy and low-season rates abound. We recommend the Lighthouse Marina Resort Hotel.
If you are bringing your own yacht to the regattas then the Subic Bay Yacht Club and Watercraft Venture both offer pontoon marina facilities at reasonable rates. You also need to know that the Philippines’ largest yacht chandler – Broadwater Marine – is headquartered in Subic Bay; and, a basic range of yacht chandlery and supplies can also be found at Watercraft Venture.
If you get bored between regattas then you can charter the Subic Seaplane to take you to almost any corner of the Philippine archipelago during the intervening week.
Links:
Contact information: Subic Bay Regatta Events
The nearest webcams to the two sailing regattas are:
– Lighthouse Marina Resort Hotel, Subic Bay webcam
– Broadwater Marine, Subic Bay webcam
The Lighthouse Marina Resort Hotel Moonbay Marina, Subic Bay
Broadwater Marine The Philippines’ Largest Yacht Chandler website
Watercraft Venture Marina Berths, Boat Sales website