PH boat claims sailing history

Standard Insurance Centennial 5 sailed through some demanding conditions on its way to a piece of history in the famed Rolex China Sea Race by becoming the first Philippine entry to win the Line Honours Division.

Skippered by Ernesto Echauz and supervised by an all-Filipino crew, Standard Insurance Centennial 5 clocked 12 hours, 45 minutes and 47 seconds as a Filipino-manned boat won that division for the first time in 61 years.

Standard Insurance Centennial 5 was the first boat to cross the start line, towed the fleet out of Hong Kong’s iconic skyline at Victoria Harbor on April 5 while maintaining a safe advantage throughout the 565-nautical mile race (1,046 kilometers) across the South China Sea to Subic Bay.

“It’s very historical. It’s the first time that a Philippine boat has won Line Honours in the Rolex China Sea Race,’’ a jubilant Echauz, the PH Sailing Association president, said after the race, considered a genuine test of sailing skill, energy, persistence and team spirit.

The PH entry beat Happy Go, skippered by New Zealand’s Jono Rankine (13hr, 50min, 12 sec.) while another entry from Hong Kong, Noel Chan’s Rampage 88, placed third.

This all-Filipino team is composed of current and former Philippine national sailing team athletes and many from the Philippine Navy, including women laser sailors Alaisa Belmonte and Paula Bombeo. INQ