Shell supports 2011 Philippine Hobie Challenge

The event, organized by the Philippine Inter-island Sailing Foundation (Phinsaf), is comprised of two race series: Inshore and Challenge Series. The Inshore Series consists of five short races of approximately 40 minutes each, where competitors sail around course marks anchored close inshore. In the Challenge Series, competitors will spend between five to eight hours a day sailing, all depending on their respective skills, the sea conditions and the prevailing wind, over 200 nautical miles, through the course of five daily passages along a route selected by the organizers.

The team with the lowest elapsed time from the origin to the destination flies home at the end of the week with the prestigious Philippine Hobie Challenge trophy.

In between the race legs, the participants take part in reaching out to the communities along the coastal villages, making donations of school supplies and basic medicines.
“The Philippine Hobie Challenge is a unique way of gathering sailing enthusiasts and providing them an opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the Philippine islands, thereby creating awareness on caring for the environment and supporting the communities that inhabit these areas,” says Ronald Suarez, Sustainable Development Manager for Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation.

Throughout the 6 days of the race, organizers are following the participants onboard the vessel “Novena” as the race support craft. It runs on Shell fuel throughout the ocean race events to help the organizers get the most out of every drop.

“At Shell, we strive to deliver energy in a way that provides social benefits and considers the environment. We are glad to share this cause with the Philippine Hobie Challenge and we hope to inspire others to do the same,” Suarez adds.

As a responsible energy company, Shell collaborates with others to address environmental, societal and energy challenges towards the new energy future.