Nat’l sailors get 6 new keel boats

After getting a fresh mandate to skipper the country’s sailing program, Philippine Sailing Association (PSA) president Ernesto “Judes” Echauz immediately buckled down to work.

Echauz announced that Standard Insurance will donate six FarEast 28R boats to boost the national team’s preparations in keelboat racing.

“The idea here is to allow the FarEast 28R boats to join regattas, both locally and internationally,” said Echauz, group chair of Standard Insurance.

Echauz, who is set to receive the 2018 Philippine Sportswriters Association Executive of the Year award on Feb. 27, said the boats will be under the care of national team coach Allan Balladares, one of Asia’s top match-racing skipper and gold medalist in the 2015 Singapore Southeast Asian Games.

As the only national sports association president who actively competes in his sport on the international level, Echauz led the Philippine squad to victory in the China Cup International Regatta in Shenzhen, China, late last year.

The Filipinos ruled the premier IRC Class A on board Standard Insurance Centennial in Asia’s most prestigious regatta.