THE Oz Goose sailboat, known in the Philippines as a sailboat that can be built for less than the price of an iPhone, of which more than 50 have been built in the country, will hold the final day of the Oz Goose National Championships today at the Taal Lake Yacht Club in Talisay, Batangas.
Twenty two teams have confirmed to race in this year’s Oz Goose event, some coming from as far as Cebu and Iloilo.
The popularity of the Oz Goose Sailboat came about through the efforts of the Philippine Home Boatbuilders Yacht Club (PHBYC), who have been seeking for ways to lower the barriers of entry to sailing, an activity well suited for the Philippine Islands.
According to PHBYC’s Roy Espiritu, “Sailing has been perceived by Filipinos as an expensive and exclusive activity when, in fact, it doesn’t have to be. The Oz Goose sailboat fit perfectly in PHBYC’s grassroots sailing initiative. It is easy to build with locally available materials, sails really well and is a great platform to learn how to sail.“
Boatbuilding materials sponsors Pioneer Adhesives, Polymer Products and Broadwater Marine, who were tapped by PHBYC to help develop the Oz Goose fleet, have pledged their support for the regatta. Batangas-based, corporate sponsor Lima Park Hotel is fielding teams to participate in the races, while Destileria Limtuaco, Globe MyBusiness and Isuzu Cavite are supporting the regatta as part of their corporate social responsibility efforts.
The Oz Goose National Championships is expected to be one of the best-attended one design class regatta the Philippines has ever seen. According to the boat’s designer, Batangas-based Michael Storer, “Racing sailboats is the best way to hone one’s skill as a sailor. We regularly race these boats in Taal Lake, and several participants who only started sailing this year are excited to join the regatta, either as crew or even as skippers.”