eSTANDARD
INSURANCE - SMART INFINITY
MANILA
to BORACAY RACE 2006
organised by Manila Yacht Club
Average
speed of 10.73 nautical miles per hour brought Boracay (Frank
Pong, HK, Reichel/Pugh 76), line honours, to the island of Boracay in
the 4th eStandard Insurance - Smart Infinity Manila to Boracay
Race 2006 over 204 nautical miles, within 3 minutes of his previous best
time in Jelik in 2004 and 6 hours faster than Maligaya
in 2003. However the conditions in 2006 were entirely different to those
of the 2004 race as the fleet of 13 boats found out as the race progressed.
The wind gave a foretaste of the variables to come first coming from the South before the start at 1400 hours on 15 Feb, backing to the North and then dying and filling in again at 9/12 knots from the South East just before the 5 minute signal.
The fleet started in 2 sections with the bigger boats opting for the committee boat end of the line and the others going for the pin end.
Boracay
quickly powered into the lead followed by Karakoa (R. Ordoveza, MYC, Andrews
53) and Free Fire (R. Parker, HK, ULDB 70), then Centennial (E. Echauz,
MYC, Sydney 46). Challenge (M. Tanco, MYC, X452) led Sandoway (K. Huisjes,
Netherlands, BH 36), Salina (R. Morris, MYC, Shock 35), Vivaldi (C. Altura,
MYC, J35), Selma Star (J. Avecilla, MYC, Beneteau First 36.7) and Siren
(R. Killip, HK, Sayer 13). Irresistible (H. Taylor, MYC, S&S 36) led
The Judge (D. van Strallan, MYC, Peterson 33) and China Rose (R. Blum
and M. Raeubar, MYC, Celestial 49).
Most boats set spinnakers and followed the rhumb line, 242 degrees, 14 nm. to San Nicolas Beacon, with Free Fire, Irresistible, The Judge, Sandoway and Siren putting theirs up later. Siren kept into the Cavite shore south of the rhumb line for most of this leg. The wind eased to 8/9 knots, then increased to 15 to 20 knots, backing E slightly, as the boats approached the Beacon, with the leaders, Boracay, Free Fire, having passed Karakoa, and Centennial getting there in 60 to 80 minutes. By the mark Siren passed Challenge, while Selma Star was leading the rest of the fleet.
On
the next 15 miles to the entrance to Manila Bay the wind stayed at 14/18
knots, with gusts over 20 knots and backed more. It paid to stay in towards
the shore, south of the line out of the Bay. Salina and Vivaldi, in close
company, carried spinnakers right to Limbones Islands and caught up Challenge
and Selma Star, who were down to leeward and had to drop their spinnakers
early.
It was a reach down the Batangas coast for 40 miles to Cap Santiago. The wind backed ENE and increased and later eased and veered more Easterly. The first boats got there at about 1900 hours, with Centennial there at 2026 hours, an average of 8.3 knots. Again on this leg the middle fleet boats , Salina, Sandoway, Selma Star and Vivaldi, had tight racing and kept changing positions, at times setting shy spinnakers.
South of Calagatan Vivaldi, close inshore, bounced off a coral head, allowing the other boats to get through.
By this time the bigger boats had pulled away. Challenge led the rest of the pack, getting to Cap Santiago at 2200 hours, with the others rounding over the next 1½ hours. Irresistible and The Judge rounded shortly after 2300 hours in close company.
Unfortunately China Rose's hydraulics failed and so she had to retire back to Manila.
The 40 mile leg to Calapan at the NE corner of Mindoro was a beat the whole way in ENE winds, 10 to 15 knots, occasional gusts up to 20 knots off Puerto Galera, and easing again to 7 to 10 knots as the boats approached the eastern end of the Verde Passage, particularly in the early hours of the morning. Boracay, Free Fire and Karakoa moved further ahead of the fleet on this leg, passing Baco Islands and Calapan before midnight. Centennial, keeping close to Mariciban, went through the Baco Islands in slack water at 0146 hours on 16 February.
The middle fleet split into 2 sections for the Passage, with Challenge leading Selma Star and Vivaldi on one tack down the middle to Marciban and Puerto Galera, first with the flood tide from the west and then after the turn, taking the ebb to the east (tides flood and ebb simultaneously on both sides of Mindoro). Sandoway and Salina lost out by gong high above the rhumb line in towards Balayan Bay initially.
The winds went light and variable as the boats approached Baco Islands. In addition there were contrary currents as the strong ebb flowing south from Lucena and Tayabas Bay held back the tide coming east from the Verde Passage. It took most boats about 4 hours to beat through from north of Puerto Galera to off Calapan. Challenge, at about 0600 hours, led Selma Star and Vivaldi through on the north side of the islands, with Sandoway and Salina going closer to the Mindoro coast inside the islands later. Irresistible and The Judge passed Silonay Island at 0945 hours.
East of Calapan, the fleet turned south east to Dumali Point 25 miles away. The bigger boats held the wind of 8 to 10 knots NE, backing slightly, during darkness. The first boats cleared Dumali Point between 0300 and 0600 hours, with Free Fire averaging 9.3 knots from Manila and Centennial 8.4 knots.
As the day went on the wind faded and backed. Challenge was at Dumali Point at 0907 hours, with 75 miles to the Finish, Sandoway at 1025, Vivaldi at 1135 with Salina slightly ahead in near the coast, using the land breezes. Selma Star, also keeping to the west of the rhumb line, passed Challenge and Sandoway before Maestre de Campo Island.
Meanwhile, further back Irresistible and The Judge were becalmed for about 4 hours north of Dumali Point.
In the light variable winds it paid to tack down wind keeping west of the rhumb line for the land breezes. The NE winds did not fill in until the boats were abeam of Tablas Island, 30 miles down the track from Dumali Point. The boats to the west were able to carry the wind more on the beam as they approached the northern end of Boracay Island and thus power up.
By this time Boracay continuing fast, but not the 20 knots plus that had been anticipated if the NE winds had filled in, finished off Heather Louise at 0944 hours on 16 February to take the Standard Insurance Line Honours Trophy. Free Fire was next in at 1216, followed by Karakoa and, then, Centennial at 1507.
As the evening came, the middle fleet benefited from the freshening winds, 12 to 15 knots with gusts 18 to 20, veering more to the East. During this period Challenge and Siren passed Selma Star, and Sandoway passed Challenge on the last 20 miles to the Finish. Sandoway finished at 2228, Challenge at 2238 and Selma Star at 2301. Salina, keeping to the west, made ground on Vivaldi to finish at 0016 on 17 February, with Vivaldi in at 0150 hours.
Irresistible
and The Judge continued their tight race down the coast of Boracay in
the morning until The Judge, cutting inside, went on the reef for 2 hours.
Centennial won the Kellett Island Trophy for Overall IRC by 45 seconds over Boracay and Salina beat Challenge by 12 seconds in IRC close racing.
Judes Eachauz of Standard Insurance, with Smart Infinity, hosted the, by now, traditional very enjoyable party for the prize giving.