The first ever Championships for the Oz Goose class was held at Taal Lake Yacht Club an hour or so south of Manila late November 2017. Video below.
Regatta – 8 Races completed over 2 days
Sponsored by Hyde Sails International there were 8 races over the two days with wind varying from light on Saturday and moderate and occasionally strong on Sunday. The series was recognised by the peak sailing body.
Video of the first OZ Goose National Titles
We were lucky enough to have drone footage compiled into a video so you can see that these square boats sail properly. It costs the same to build 10 Oz Geese as to import one Laser dinghy into the Philippines.
Video image can take a moment to load.
Low cost Introduction to Sailing in Developing Nations.
The whole fleet cost the same as a 1.5 Lasers. A real opportunity for the growing middle class in developing nations.
Seventeen boats raced with 45 sailing participants. The series sponsor was Hyde sails International that also send two teams to race from their factory in Cebu in Central Philippines.
Participants also came from Holy Name School in the Southern Philippines who hosted the year’s group build of Oz Geese.
Most of the member of the Paralympic squad who sail with us regularly had another commitment but Joy Habana was one of the sailors who improved the most through the regatta.
The decision was made for the boats to race two up to maximise participants with newer sailors being rotated through the boats to sail with the more experienced sailors.
One interesting outcome was that on the first day the eventual winner of the series sailed one up on the Saturday which showed not a great deal of difference of speed between the boats sailed one up and two up.
Saturday’s lighter wind led to only two completed races when the wind came in at around 3 to 6 knots a range where the Geese move well (often lapping bigger boats in club races).
Placegetters in the Oz Goose Nationals
It was a clean sweep by Commodore of the Taal Lake Yacht Club (below), who has been sailing dinghies, cats and keelboats in the USA and Philippines since youth. His crew on Sunday was Angelique Tauzon.
Second place was the designer of the Oz Goose, Australian sailor Michael Storer. Crewed by Lynn Cruasos on Saturday and Honey Cruz on Sunday.
Third was Job Ferranco crewed by Mikee Vinzon. Job has only been sailing for three years and is a graduate of the sailing school at Taal Lake Conservation Centre, Mikee is one of the students of the course.
More Information about the Oz Goose sailing dinghy
If interested in building your own Oz Goose in the Philippines or other countries please see the Oz Goose Facebook Group.
For more information on the Oz Goose see the Oz Goose website.
If in the Philippines and interested in joining one of the group builds or joining sailing please contact Roy Espiritu of the Philippine Home Boatbuilders Yacht Club.
Who would have thought the first group boatbuilding event three years ago would lead to a serious regatta and National recognition this year.
