Brought to you by:  Sail  Philippines                   Mail us at  peter@sailing.org.ph    Top Left Sailing Picture:  Foredeck work on  Irvmiren. 1996 photo  Top Right:  Team Frantic claws  its way up into  First in Platu division.  Center Sailing Photo:  KARAKOA with  Banks 0.6 Series  2200 spin and  Checkmate main in  the lead at the start  of Race 3 off  Phi Phi Island.  More KC Photos  Bottom Photo:  Hot action at  President's Cup  Regatta 1998.  Subic Centennial,  sistership of  Neil  Pryde's Hi-Flyer  leads at the start.  more Kings Cup  results

Philippines Victorious at the King’s Cup Regatta Article by:Justin Tooth 15 December 1998           The Philippines yachting community is celebrating its best results ever in international competition, won last week at the prestigious King’s Cup Regatta in Phuket, Thailand. In this 12th year of the Regatta, more entrants raced than ever before. 81 yachts raced in six distinct classes. The level of competition was  stiff with many top boats from around the region and crews from over twenty countries.   By the end of an exhilarating week, marked by a variety of race courses and conditions, but rounded off with the most challenging and strongest winds, all three Philippine boats that entered gave strong showings.   Two of the three Philippines entrants stood out as clear leaders of their respective fleets. In the Ocean Cruising class the elegant Swan 68 Irvmiren, skippered by Andres Soriano III swept majestically first across the line in every race, and in the Platu class Team Frantic, skippered by Sandy Sandoval,and Mark Haswell, successfully battled against the rest of the one-design fleet to achieve the same clean sweep.            As both boats won their classes with the maximum points available, Joe Hagedorn, the ebullient Crew Boss of Irvmiren was prompted to point out “The Philippines has today set not just one, but two unbeatable Regatta records!” Not surprisingly Irvmiren immediately hosted an impromptu party onboard, featuring generous amounts of various well-known beverages from the Philippines.            Karakoa, the other Philippine boat, skippered by Ray Ordovesa and aided by officers of the Philippines Navy, also achieved high honours, coming third in the well-contested Racing class with a set of Banks Sails.            The dominance of the Philippines was accentuated by the presence of Filipino sailors on three other medal-winning yachts, including Neil Pryde’s yacht Hi Fidelity which eventually won the Racing class. The regatta was hosted by the Kata Beach Resort, one of the principal sponsors.      Jerry Rollin, sailing in the critical role of tactician on Soriano’s Irvmiren, stated “All those associated with sailing and sports in the Philippines should be proud that our countrymen have so clearly demonstrated their ability to compete successfully against the world’s sailors. We hope that this victory will put us firmly on the map, and that it will help attract a record number of entrants to our own President’s Cup Regatta held in Subic Bay next Easter.”