Hobie Nationals Notice of Race

10^th Philippine Hobie Challenge

Batangas to Boracay

Sunday, 9 February to Saturday, 14 February 2009

Spot Satellite Messenger, the World’s first satellite messenger is to provide the boats of the Philippine Hobie Challenge with real time tracking of their positions throughout the 6 day event. Each boat will have a Spot Messenger, which will transmit the boats position, in real time, to the safety Mother ship. The mother ship will receive the signal by internet and also by SMS via cell phone. The Messengers are fitted with 3 special buttons, which the sailors will be able to activate if they need to. One button says we are OK. The second button informs the Mother Ship that they do have a problem and need some help but it is not yet an emergency. And the 3^rd button says  - I have an emergency situation, please send rescue as quickly as possible.

Also tracking all the boats positions via the internet will be the Lifeline Rescue 24/7 Centre, which will also co-ordinate any search and rescue operation  or medical emergency response.

Spot Satellite Messenger is now available in the Philippines. Spot provides the ultimate survival plan for active people and does not rely on a cell phone signal as the system uses satellite technology to track positions and send messages. Units can be purchased by those that have a regular use for them or can be rented for some special event. 

Other event sponsors and supporters include the Department of Tourism, Hobie Australasia, Rayomarine Inc., La Luz Resort, Lifeline Rescue,  Neil Pryde Sails, Taal Lake Yacht Club, Rubberducky, Boracay Gold Crowne Resort and Synergy Marine Services.

Philippine Hobie Challenge Foundation

2nd floor, Corinthian Plaza
121 Paseo De Roxas
Makati City
Philippines

Attention:  Peter Capotosto
Tel:           +632 894 0396
Fax:          +632 811 3301
Cell:          +63 917 838 3726
e mail:       phc@philhobie.com                         
                                                

15 November 2008

Notice of Race   –  phc-10-r-nor-21-october.doc

Entry Form       — 2009-phillipine-nationals-and-10th-phc-entry-form-rev-3.doc

Challenge Rally Notice of Race - nor-rally-2009.doc

Challenge Rally Entry Form - rally-2009-entry-form.doc

The International Hobie 16 Championships

11^th Philippine Hobie National Championships

Saturday 7^th and Sunday 8^th February 2009

and

10^th Philippine Hobie Challenge

Sunday 8^th to Saturday 14^th February 2009

A Revised Notice of Race for the 10^th Philippine Hobie Challenge has been issued and published on the event’s website ( www.philhobie.com )

Originally, it was intended to hold the International and National Championships on the 31 January and the 1 February, the weekend before the Challenge. Now the International and National Championships will be held at Laiya, Batangas immediately prior to the Challenge.

It is expected that all participants in the 10^th Hobie Challenge, which is limited to 25 entries, will compete in both events.

The International and National Championships will consist of 2 days of short course racing with classes for Filipino Nationals, International Open, Ladies, Veterans and Youth.

The Philippine Hobie Challenge consists of two series of races. The Challenge Series which consists of 5 day races with competitors sailing up to 10 hours each day between island campsite locations. The Inshore Series consists of 5 races, each lasting approximately one hour. These races will take place in Romblon and in Boracay at the end of the Challenge Series.

The Challenge route starts in Laiya, Batangas with the first overnight stop at Tres Reyes, on the west coast of Marinduque. The second day ends at a beautiful Romblon beach where the Challenge will stay for 2 nights. On the third day there will be 2 Inshore Series races and a longer race around the nearby islands. On the fouth day the teams sail the full length of Tablas island to a campsite on the Southern tip. The fifth and last day of the Challenge takes the event around islands and ends on a beautiful Boracay beach.

Challenge Teams consist of 2 or 3 sailors with normally only 2 sailing at one time while the third crew member enjoys being a tourist for the day or helps with managing the event. Every day the personal baggage, boat spares, tents, food, drink, camping equipment and administration personnel are loaded onto the transport boats and moved to the next campsite.

The length of the course each day will be determined by the Race Officer considering the distance to the next campsite and the wind conditions. If the wind is light and the forecast does not indicate more wind later in the day, the course will be set directly to the next location. If there is good wind then the course will be set to go around some island and buoys to a predicted length of 5 to 8 hours sailing. The concept is for sailors to have the best days sailing possible with a planned arrival at the new location in the afternoon so they can explore and enjoy the beautiful island they are visiting.

The early arrival will also provide a chance for the sailors to be involved in the Hobie Foundations outreach programme. In the last 9 years the Hobie Challenge has passed through some of the most beautiful out of the way places in the Philippines. Sailors noticed that many of the villages lacked some of the basics of life, because they were out of the main stream. In one school visit recently by the sailors it was found that as well as a general lack of books, the school did not even have a blackboard for their teacher to write on.

During the 10th Challenge the Foundation will be visiting 5 villages and taking too them school books, educational videos, blackboards and chalk and a plan is afoot to take to some of the villages that need it a villages basic solar powered electricity systems so they can have free light and power without the expense of running a generator.

The Philippine Hobie Challenge Foundation is a non-stock non-profit Foundation that has the objectives of providing funding for the development of sailing throughout the Philippines, to provide a sailing school with boats and equipment, to fund and organize The Philippine Hobie Challenge and Hobie Traveller Series every year as well as to fund an outreach programme to benefit remote sea communities.

21 October 2008

Philippine Hobie Challenge Foundation,

2nd floor, Corinthian Plaza,

121 Paseo De Roxas, Makati City, Philippines.

Attention: Peter Capotosto

Tel: +632 894 0396
Fax: +632 811 3301
Cell: +63 917 838 3726
e mail: phc@philhobie.com
Web: www.philhobie.com

Stormy conditions at the Gubat Bay start location (Jerry Rollin)

The inshore races due to take place in the first day in Gubat Bay, Sorsogon at the southern end of Luzon, were cancelled due to the extreme conditions. The first day of the Challenge course should have been a 70 nm leg to the deserted island of Sambuan off Masbate. PHC8 winner Bob Engwirda and the Race Committee declared the conditions un-sailable so the Hobies were moved by road to the southern end of San Bernadino Straits in the hope of avoiding the large waves. The safety RIBs were taken down by sea in a very exciting 3 hour journey, during which the Chairman of the Organising Committee, Jerry Rollin, driving one of the RIBs fell off a particularly steep wave and damaged his ankle and knee resulting in his needing to be helped on an off the committee boat for the rest of the week.

Hobie being loaded onto a flatbed truck (Eric Tomacruz)

On day 3 it was deemed to be safe to start the first leg although the winds were still up around 15 knots and the seas were still around 8ft.

Matnog Start (Eric Tomacruz)

The Challenge was on…

The 15nm to the first gate was covered in an hour. Soon after the first gate however the wind died away completely. After some frustrating waiting around the Hobies were towed to the finish and the times at the first gate were used for the results. The leg winners were Aaron Worrall and Sarah Pipes from Australia.

Cargo banca Posiedon towing over flat seas

The Samar Island of Bacsal was to be the first night under canvas and the local population provided us with shelter, from the ever continuing rain, electricity from a generator, remembrance T shirts and coffee mugs and the most delicious squid and shrimps. It was a major feature of the event that where ever we ended up for the night the local population went to great lengths to make us welcome and help us with all our needs.

Bacsal Island Campsite (Eric Tomacruz)

Day 4 saw a start with 6 knots of wind and incredibly some sunshine, albeit for only 45 minutes or so. The route was through the San Juanico Strait which is a narrow tidal channel dividing the islands of Samar and Leyte. This was the most cerebrally challenging leg calling for understanding of tides and currents plus observation of the wind shadows caused by the island dotted around the Strait. 35 nm leg was won by Bob Engwirda and Bradley (The Dog) Wilson from Australia.

Again the rain, which had been intermittent during the day, came back in full force at overnight. Fortunately Caluwayan Resort, just east of Tacloban City, although small were none the less able to provide cover over everyone’s heads for the night.

Caluwayan Beach Resort (Eric Tomacruz)

The next day was a 55 mile leg passing through the Leyte Gulf to end at the Pristine coral fringed Suluan Island on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. The weather was again unkind. The race started with variable light winds and sporadic rain squalls which drove the competitors towards the first gate only 6 miles from the start. This gate required the Hobies to sail between two vertical rocks – certainly a challenge in these gusty conditions. The first boat to the rocks was Peter Nelson and Laura Sullivan from the USA. Unfortunately the wind once again died and boats were towed in to the finish.

The next day was a 55 mile leg passing through the Leyte Gulf to end at the Pristine coral fringed Suluan Island on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. The weather was again unkind. The race started with variable light winds and sporadic rain squalls which drove the competitors towards the first gate only 6 miles from the start. This gate required the Hobies to sail between two vertical rocks – certainly a challenge in these gusty conditions. The first boat to the rocks was Peter Nelson and Laura Sullivan from the USA. Unfortunately the wind once again died and boats were towed in to the finish.

Suluan Island, which is home to just under 1,000 inhabitants, had only received a telephone service 3 months before we arrived. The Mayor and townsfolk put on a marvellous display of singing and dancing to entertain us.

Suluan Beach (Eric Tomacruz)

The final leg of the Challenge on Day 6 was a 60 mile reach through Pacific swells to the surfing capital of Siargao were the finish required the Hobie to pass through a gap in the surf breaking reef into a lagoon before arriving at the finish line at Patrick’s on the Beach Resort. The day started with sun but unfortunately light wind so the decision was made to tow the fleet down the course until the winds improved. By midday there was enough wind to break off the tow, giving competitors a 30nm race to the finish.

A red navigation light had been placed by the race committee at the turning point to head in through the reef, which was just as well as all but one of the Hobies arrive within 10 minutes of each other after dark. Laura Lynn and Grady Guinee had been left behind and showing a lot of grit stuck it out to pass through the reef some 70 minutes behind the fleet.

The reef was a caldron of splashing water so the cargo bancas decided to make a 6 mile detour. Not so the Hobies and support ribs who passed through the melee emerging after an exciting 2 minute ride through the surf. This leg was won by Bob Engwirda and Bradley Wilson just 3 seconds ahead of Bruce Tardrew and Debbie Muller from Australia.

Siargao sunset (Eric Tomacruz)

Siargao the Mindanao surfers’ paradise was a welcome relief for competitors as they checked into Patrick’s resort, found some dry clothes for the first time in 4 days and enjoyed the house specialty mango rhum cocktails. We had at last seen our final rain, but unfortunately our final wind too so the Siargao inshore races had to be cancelled.

Everyone a winner (Aaron Viencio)

The Department of Tourism, who had been invaluably supportive in making all the arrangements throughout the event excelled themselves by providing the awards party with music dancing and entertainment. The awards were presented by Assistant Secretary Cynthia Carrion, who is well known to the event for her support over the last 8 years.

February is usually a time of sun and wind in the Philippines. No one can remember when there have been such weather conditions before. Never the less the competitors generally agreed they had had a good experience and after all this is a sailing event and certainly for all concerned was a Challenge.

‘The Dog’ accompanies our gracious benefactor from the Department of Tourism Assistant Secretary Cynthia Carrion

Bob Engwirda and Bradley Wilson receive their trophy from the Mayor of General Luna, Siargao and Organizing Committee Chairman Jerry Rollin (Aaron Viencio)

The Challenge is the country’s premier extreme sailing event, and each year a different route is chosen to challenge competitors and show them the multitude of beautiful islands that is the Philippines.

The event comprises of two separate race series. The inshore series consists of 5 short races of approximately one hour around turning marks anchored close inshore. The first 2 races are at the beginning of the week and the final 3 conclude events afloat at the end of the week.

Being staged in a small area near the shore these races provide beach spectators with the best view of the thrills and spills on the water. The series standings are decided on a points scoring system where each team is awarded points equal to their position. The team with the lowest score at the end wins.

Running from Monday through to Friday the premier Challenge Series is what makes the event special. This year competitors will sail over 258 nautical miles, 488 kilometres, in a 5 daily passage races along a route selected by the organizers several months previously. The course runs through pristine blue and coral fringed seas taking them from island to island for overnight camping. More akin to a car rally than mainstream sailing overall places for the Challenge Series are dependent not upon the daily position, but on accumulative sailing time for the 5 offshore legs.

The team with the lowest elapsed time from the start to the finish will at the end of the week fly home with the Philippine Challenge Trophy.

Typically, the competitors will spend between 24 and 40 hours sailing, depending on their skills, the sea conditions and the prevailing wind, during the 5 days. If the lack of wind prevents a fast passage, sometimes racing will continue after sunset.

Gubat Bay, Sorsogon will be the venue for the first two races of the inshore series. Sorsogon is well know for the number of whale sharks that can be seen and many competitors will be hoping to see or to swim with these enormous fish. This will also be the start point of the Challenge Series route which passes through the strong tidal waters of the St Bernadino Straits. The first day’s route will take competitors through the Straits, past the Capal Island Lighthouse and the through the Samar Sea to the deserted Sambuan Island 70 miles away. The Challenge visited this island in 2003, when the route took the boats from Donsol to Allegre Beach Resort in Cebu.

The second day sees the boats heading for San Juanico Straits, past Bilirian Island to a deserted beach on Bacsal Island which is situated at the Northern end of the Strait. San Juanico Strait is a narrow strip of water varying from 2 miles to a few hundred metres wide that divides Samar from Leyte and is cross by the San Juanico Strait bridge, just north of Tacloban.

The third day sailing through the Straits will be tactically challenging as the sailors pick their way between the islands, rocks and reefs to find the best wind and tide. The day will end with a reach across the northern end of the Leyte Gulf to a beach resort among the limestone cliffs and deep clear waters of the Marabut Peninsular.

On the fourth day the boats continue East across the Leyte Gulf heading for the Pacific Ocean and the tiny island of Suluan which is some 15 miles off the southern tip of Eastern Samar. Here on a beautiful golden sand spit of land jutting out into the ocean the sailors will be fed on freshly caught fish grilled to perfection by the accompanying chefs and provided by the local community.

The fifth and last day of the inter-island phase of the Challenge has the competitors sailing 65 miles south down the Pacific Ocean swells and with a following wind, to the surfing paradise island of Siargao on the Northern tip of Mindanao. This will be a challenging day and at the end the sailors will sail through a gap in the reef that features the best breaking wave in the Philippines, Cloud Nine, into the sheltered waters off the town of General Luna.

This will be a chance for everyone to enjoy the luxury of a shower, spa and first class resort facilities. The following day there will be a further 3 inshore races to decide the winner of the Inshore series that started with 2 races at the beginning of the week.

Saturday night takes the entourage of nearly 100 sailors and members of the race management and safety teams, chefs, nurses and admin personnel to a Department of Tourism sponsored beach party on a nearby palm decorated island.

According to Philippine Hobie Challenge Foundation Chairman Mark Andrew Haswell, this years event will be limited to a maximum of 20 teams. The reason for this is that the event will be truly an extreme sailing event with sailors having to contend with strong currents and tides ocean swells and strong winds. The Race Management and Safety Team have to keep track of all competitors in these conditions which will probably involve sailing at night.

Competitors have already indicated their interest in entering from Thailand, Hong Kong, the USA, Australia, Italy, Germany, Papua New Guinea and the Northern Marianas Islands. Top local sailors mainly based at the Taal Lake Yacht Club and with the Philippine Sailing Association will also enter.

Principal Race Officer for the 8th year, Jeremy Rollin, has taken on the additional responsibility as Chairman of The Organizing Committee. He says that this will be one of the most challenging routes they have undertaken and he is looking forward to getting out on the water and enjoying the beautiful scenery and waters while managing the event.

The organizing committee is once again working with the Department of Tourism in promoting the Philippines as a safe and interesting destination for tourists. The Department is sponsoring the production of a film of the Challenge to be shown on the cable networks. The film will also featuring the whale sharks of Sorgogon, the island paradise of Calicoan Island and the surfing capital of Siargao and all the beautiful islands in between.

Final Inshore results had to be taken from the Inshores that were held at Malapascua Island 5 days prior.

Andrew Locke & David Levinge of Team PNG and Kev’s Bob Engwirda and Jerome Binder both had a first and a second each from the first 2 Nivea Inshore Races, but the rules declared that the result of the last race sailed would decide a winner, so in this case Team PNG came in first, Kev’s second and the Thai-based duo Same Same But Different’s Gary & Adrian Baguley came in
third.

The leaders through the Pamalacan Gate were those who had gone high towards the southern Bohol shore, while those who sailed the rhumb or went slightly low suffered a bad wind shift and less breeze.

Jun Villanueva and Nestor Soriano of palmOne led through this gate, but second placed HKHC Commodore Nigel Harris and Susan MacDonald sailed the second shorter leg with skill and
won the leg (Nigel has made a special request that we tell everyone that he had the oldest boat with the oldest sails in the fleet - we disagree because the boat is only 3 years old and there are still a couple of 1998 Hogs Breath World Championship boats racing in this year’s Challenge).

Coming in exactly one minute behind Nigel and Susan were Team Kev’s Bob Engwirda and Jerome Binder, and this position secured their overall victory in the offshore series with an overall
elapsed time of 21:37:41 for the five daily legs.

Second overall went to Blood Red’s David Harris and Krishan George who did better than Team PNG, wrenching away their placing and putting the Philippine Hobie Nationals champions
Andrew Locke & David Levinge in third place overall.

1ST- TEAM SAIPAN Tony Stearns & Janet McCullough
2ND - KEV’S Bob Engwirda & Jerome Binder
3RD - TEAM PNG Andrew Locke & David Levinge

Sailors who went high favoured the westerly side of the course were treated to a favourable shift.

Today’s racing was shorter as event management wanted to make sure that sailors had time to visit the hot springs of Katibawasan.

No white sand today as sailors pitch tents on the largely volcanic sland of Camiguin whose darkly beautiful and sparkling beach is ice and piping hot. Many sailors have stayed on the thick arabao grass with some cold drinks. Some who have missed the orcelain comforts of the toilet have taken a room at the resort earby.