Australian sailors top first 2 races of Hobie Challenge

MALAPASCUA ISLAND, DAANBANTAYAN — World-class sailors Bob Engwirda and Brad Wilson of Australia topped the first two races of the in-shore competition under the 14th Philippine Hobie Challenge last Sunday here.

Engwirda of Team Two Dogs, who was at the helm, and Wilson defeated fellow Australian Andrew Locke and his Filipino partner Eric Tomacruz during the first race as Mike Ngu and Lindo Pahayahay wound up third.

Feeling at ease with the winds, Engwirda and Wilson went on to rule the second race. Another Australian sailor in Bruce Tardrew and Sarah Turnbull placed second, while Locke and Tomacruz wound up third this time.

Engwirda and Wilson, thus, leads the overall standing going into the third race scheduled today in Sta.Fe, Bantayan Island.

Locke and Tomacruz are at second followed by Ngu and Pahayahay.

Rounding up the top 10 cast in the in-shore battle after two legs are Fiji’s Grahame Southwicke and Sharon Rayner, Philippines’ Monchu and Bianca Garcia, Peter Capotosco and Robert Watson, Norman Jaravata and Mirella Gallego, Eddie Legarda and Edwin Lucero, David Harris and Canada’s Wendy Chen, and Bruce Tardrew and Sarah Turnbull.

Aside from the in-shore action, the five-leg off-shore battle kicked off yesterday from Malapascua to Bantayan Island, with a total of two Hobie cats negotiating the point- to- point race.— Caecent No-ot Magsumbol