BIZ BUZZ: Skippers who ruled Corregidor waters
The spotlight in this year’s BPI Corregidor Cup belonged to Selma Star and its skipper, Marcus Avecilla, who steered the Beneteau First 36.7 to a commanding victory in one of the country’s most technically demanding sailing events.
The yacht not only topped the International Rating Certificate or IRC Class (which uses a handicap system by boat design) but also clinched the coveted overall winner title after three days of tactical racing around Corregidor.
Avecilla is hardly new to the sailing scene. He is known in the sport as a longtime sailing advocate and currently serves as operations head of Subic Sailing and vice president of the Philippine Sailing Association, roles that place him at the center of efforts to grow the sport locally. His disciplined race strategy and calculated decision-making helped Selma Star dominate the fleet in the latest leg of the BPI Private Wealth Signature Yacht Race Series.
Not far behind in the spotlight was Despacito, a Beneteau Oceanis 51.1 skippered by Pablo Lobregat, which emerged as the champion in the Cruising Class.
Lobregat is better known in corporate circles as a board member of Philcomsat Holdings Corp. and president of the Philippine Sugar Research Institute Foundation, but he has also built a reputation as a seasoned sailor competing in various regattas around the country.
Meanwhile, the Ocean Multihull Class saw newcomer Estelita Del Mar, a Leopard 45 sailing catamaran, secure the overall win under skipper Andy Aguila, owner of Aguila Glass.
The victory underscored the competitive depth of this year’s fleet, which gathered 14 boats across three classes navigating the complex waters around Corregidor.
Organized by the Ocean Racing Club of the Philippines, the regatta tested crews through unpredictable winds and tricky currents while routing them past historic landmarks such as Fort Drum and La Monja. Tight corrected-time margins reflected how closely matched the competitors were throughout the race weekend.
For BPI Private Wealth, the event is part of a broader effort to combine elite sailing competition with environmental advocacy. Now in its third season, the Signature Yacht Race Series carries the theme “Do More for the Philippine Seas,” highlighting marine conservation in partnership with WWF-Philippines.
With two legs now completed, the series sails onward to its next major challenge— BPI Boracay 200, a demanding 370.4-kilometer (200-nautical-mile) offshore race from Subic to Boracay scheduled on March 9 to March 15.
If the Corregidor leg is any indication, the coming races promise even tighter battles on the seas.
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