Some of AYC’s Geese line up for inspection at the AYC boat yard John Saling in Albay Gulf One of the AYC original sailing bancas sailing in Albay Gulf Members of AYC in John’s living room watchin sailing videos about sailing technique during the sailing clinic conducted by PHBYC Michael Storer of PHBYC giving a lecture in the AYC equipment hut 18 John G of AYC sailing on his pink Oz Goose called Barbie’s World
Around February 2020, a commitment for 12 participating teams was achieved and an event date was set. The Albay Yacht Club would be assembling sailboats for the Labor Day weekend of 2020. Everything was set in motion for the future of the Albay Yacht Club. Then, the pandemic hit, and the world slowed to a crawl. With 2020 finally over, people were looking forward to the New Year. With most of Legazpi starting to get back on its feet after the 2020’s trifecta of weather carnage behind them and the population getting back into the groove of things, members of AYC took their time figuring out how to put the boat kits together, with Internet connectivity still sketchy in some parts of the city. When the lockdown and travel restrictions were finally eased later in the year, AYC and PHBYC were still very much game to make the re-birth of the Legazpi Goose fleet happen. Adjustments were made, ideas were thrown around and it was decided that the FBW would proceed in the new normal. Normally, PHBYC instructors go to the locations where FBWs happen to prefabricate the boat kits and provide personal face-to-face instruction and assistance for the participants, but because of the travel restrictions into Bicol and the observance of health protocols, this part of the job had to happen in a different way. Pre-fabrication of the boat kits was done at the Taal Lake Yacht Club (TLYC), in Talisay Batangas. With tourism Fernand took the initiative and with the help of Johnny Napay they assembled the first AYC goose, Johnny recruited his siblings and assembled Johnny recruited his siblings and assembled another boat and another, and by March, eight of the 12 boat fleet were sailing. another boat and then another, and by March, eight of the twelve boat fleet were sailing. Photos and videos were being posted on the AYC Facebook page and it looked like the sailors were having fun. Some were having trouble getting off Puro beach which faces northeast, launching directly into the wind and waves during the Amihan season. To help them out, a core group of the PHBYC members went down to Albay and held a sailing clinic, providing them with essential maintenance and rigging tips and training the new goose owners how to get the most out for their fleet. One of the original sailing bancas of AYC shuttered in the area because of the pandemic and TLYC not allowed to open, TLYC welcomed the idea of some of their Yacht Club staff being recruited to assist in the pre-fab; they knew what to do since they had done it before from an FBW experience two years prior. In lieu of the personalized instruction, a series of instructional videos were produced along with a more detailed assembly manual. Everyone waiting for the kits in Legazpi were excited for the arrival of the kits so the boats could be built in time for the start of Amihan (northeast monsoon) season starting in late November. However, the 2020 typhoon season had a different idea. Three typhoons, one of which was categorized as a super typhoon (Rolly) devastated the Bicol region. Each one, arriving just days after the previous one, left parts of Bicol without power for months. The colorful sails of AYC’s newly built fleet of Oz Goose sailboats are now a regular feature on the Legazpi Boulevard, adding color to the lovely blue waters of Albay Gulf, a wondrous sight to see especially with the Mayon Volcano’s imposing figure in the background. A vibrant watersports community is on the rise in Legazpi. AYC together with the Mayon Kayak Club are getting more Bicolanos to appreciate and enjoy what the Albay Gulf has to offer. Plans are even in the offing to hold the next Oz Goose National Championships in Legazpi. Should you wish to know more about AYC, look for the Albay Yacht Club Facebook group to see the latest updates as well as their photos and videos. 19
Change language