Sailing race back at Taal Lake

After a two-year suspension due to the pandemic, competitive sailing returned to Taal Lake Yacht Club (TLYC) with the recent 2022 Philippine Hobie 16 National Championships, the country’s longest-running Hobie sailing event. 

Situated by the lakeshores of Talisay, Batangas and a jump-off point to Taal Volcano, TLYC has been dubbed by Lonely Planet as the country’s “sailing mecca” because of its ideal winds the whole-year-round. 

For the event’s 24th edition, two doctors dominated the five-race competition. 

Ophthalmologist Michael Ngu of the Manila Doctors Hospital, along with crew Lindo Pahayahay, topped the tournament which determines the year’s top Hobie 16 sailor. 

Coming in at second place was Sunpower Philippines general manager Glenn Everett, crewed by wife Jana. 

At third place is Dennis Cruz, a Makati Medical Center ophthalmologist and former Philippine Eye Doctors Association president, and his local crew, Jason Mendoza. 

The Hobie 16 National Championships started in 1995 at its TLYC homebase, and was rotated around Subic Bay, Laiya Beach in San Juan, Cebu, Anvaya Cove in Bataan, and Punta Fuego and Tali Beach in Nasugbu, Batangas. 

In an adjunct tournament held the next day, TLYC commodore Peter Capotosto and Jazmine Lucero topped the Governor’s Cup, a new single race format which sailed around Taal Volcano. 

Named in honor of the provincial chief executive of Batangas, the Cup is the annual year-end multi-race tourney which showcases the sports tourism potential of Taal Lake. Governor Hermilando Mandanas, a tourism champion in the Calabarzon region, awarded the top winners.