Philippine Sailors Top 10 In The Mirror Worlds 2013
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Image Courtesy: MirrorWorlds2013.com
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Yesterday, after eleven races, held over five days in the sometimes choppy waters off the Lough Derg Yacht Club, in Co. Tipperary, Ireland, Philippine sailors from Puerto Galera and Manila finished 8th and 5th respectively in the Mirror Worlds 2013. The fleet of 91, two-person, Mirror sailing dinghies represented the best of the best, from seven nations, in the biennial Mirror Worlds championship regatta. This is the second time that Philippine sailors have finished in the top 10 in the Mirror Worlds.
The Philippines has only ever competed twice in the Mirror Worlds championships and each time has finished in the top 10. Proof, if anyone needed any, that the Philippines is one of the best locations on the planet to learn to sail and that the Filipino can easily compete with any nation for mastery of the wind and the sea.
Ridgely Balladares of the Philippine Sailing Association helmed dinghy 70791 to a prestigious 1st place victory in the first race of the regatta and held 2nd place overall until the distressing final race on the final day, finally finishing 5th overall. Ridgely is a seasoned sailor, who started out racing Mirrors in Manila Bay before becoming a familiar face on the winner’s podium in the Olympic 420 and 470 classes.
Helming dinghy 70792, and representing the Puerto Galera Yacht Club, Gabriel “Gambi” Fetizanan improved on his Mirror Worlds 2011 performance in Perth, Australia, and will be well celebrated upon his return to Puerto Galera over the weekend. Special thanks will no doubt be given at the occasion to UK Sailmakers, Broadwater Marine and Asian-Tigers Mobility for sponsoring Gambi’s in-Ireland expenses.
Gambi was one of the first graduates of the Puerto Galera Yacht Club’s Small Boat Sailing program and won his first national trophy in Subic Bay (in April 2006), competing against the cream of the Philippine Sailing Team. This credible youth performance caught the attention of the Philippine Sailing Association and he was one of two Puerto Galera sailors who were subsequently chosen to represent the country at international events.
Through its Small Boat Sailing program, since 2004 the Puerto Galera Yacht Club has offered sail training to hundreds of Puerto Galera school children completely free of charge. The Small Boat Sailing program is completely financed through the generosity of club members, commercial sponsors, national and international business groups and through the proceeds from the Club’s three, annual “big boat” sailing regattas.
The Small Boat Sailing program owns and maintains a fleet of ten Lawin dinghies (similar to Mirror dinghies in many respects) and ten Optimist dinghies. Whilst the Lawins were designed and built by the Puerto Galera Yacht Club, the Optimists were purchased from a factory in China and are ISAF class compliant. Most recently, new sails for these sailing dinghies have been fully sponsored by Round Table 10 in Hong Kong.
If you want to find out more about sailing in the Philippines then come to Puerto Galera, on 1st – 3rd November, and join in the fun at the largest yacht racing event in the country: the Puerto Galera Yacht Club’s All Souls Regatta.
If you want to learn to sail in the Philippines then contact one of the following clubs:
- Puerto Galera Yacht Club
- Taal Lake Yacht Club
- Iloilo Sailing Club
- Abanico Yacht Club (Puerto Princesa)
- Philippine Sailing Association
More information about the Puerto Galera Yacht Club here.