BORACAY Island—Judes Echauz steered Centennial III in prime position to sweep the Sixth Standard Insurance Boracay Cup Regatta that caps the Subic To Boracay Race 2015 off the waters of this world-renowned resort paradise on Thursday.
Echauz topped the third race day of the Boracay Cup to lead the eight-yacht field that has mustered the West Philippine Sea in last week’s Subic To Boracay Race 2015, which Centennial III copped—dethroning Frank Pong and Jelik in the process.
“It was a tough race and we expect the fourth day to be tougher,” Echauz told the BusinessMirror after Thursday’s racing that brought the yachts around the island to add pleasantry to the competition.
Winds of up to 20 knots marked Day Three and, according to organizing committee co-chairman Jun Avecilla—the other co-chairman is former Malabon Rep. Rickey Sandoval—a wind spout off the island’s northern tip was virtually the only difficult obstacle the sailors faced during the day. The Hong Kong yacht Jelik smelled vengeance on Day One of the Boracay Cup and nosed out Centennial III in the event that featured six races a day—two point-to-point and four windward-leeward. Pong came back strong on the second day on Wednesday and just like in Day One, made it a 1-2-3 finish for Jelik-Centennial III-Antipodes (Geoff Hill).
On Thursday it was Echauz’s turn at the pole, with Ray Ordoveza snatching some of the limelight by finishing second onboard Karakoa, and Antipodes winding up third. Jelik could only end up fourth on Thursday and found itself tied for the overall lead with Centennial III entering Friday’s final day of the event, organized by the Philippine Sailing Association and Saturday Afternoon Gentlemen’s Sailing Club, and staged in cooperation with the Subic Bay Yacht Club, The Lighthouse Marina Resort with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, the Department of Tourism, Philippine Coast Guard and Municipality of Malay.
“For four days of racing up until today [Thursday], the winds were very good and were very ideal of racing,” Avecilla said. “The wind was never a letdown.”
Image credits: Nonie Reyes