Aussie sustains funboard streak

Australian Robbie Radis continued to dominate the international windsurfing race series by sweeping the first four legs, including the recent Boracay International Funboard Cup at the Bulabog Beach in Boracay Island.

Fresh from his victories on the Adecco Asian Windsurfing Tour in Taiwan, Malaysia and Indonesia, Radis restamped his class again as he bested a talented field of rivals en route to winning his fourth overall championship in the annual event.

Phanuthat Ruamsap of Thailand and Keiichi Kobayashi of Guam finished second and third, respectively, in the event which served as the fourth leg of the 2002-2003 Adecco Asian Windsurfing Tour, a series of windsurfing events held throughout Asia.

Radis also clocked the fastest speed of the Cup at 53.7kph which he ran on Day 5, while Philstar.com rider Nenette Aguirre-Graf’s Day 1 speed of 44.2kph established her as the fastest lady windsurfer of the event, which drew 66 competitors from 13 countries.

The tour proceeds to Saipan for its final leg.

Others who challenged the Australian sailor but who all ended up frustrated were Filipinos Ed Fajermo, the 1997 Boracay Cup overall champion, Kinetic team rider Manny Cabili and Lava Eyewear — Maui & Sons team rider Xavi Gonzalez. Korea also had 26 racers in their contingent, led by 1996 Boracay Cup overall champion Suh Yong Kuen and Korean Windsurfing Association president Kim Soo Chel and Korean Funboard Association president Kim Nam Yong.

Australian Alex Mowday, organizer of the Penghu Cup in Taiwan, the kickoff leg of the series, also saw action along with Conrad Kerber from Guam, and Filipino-American George Gessner.

Filipino Rudy Zapanta ruled the Grand Masters division (age 50-and-above) while Manolet Gonzalez and Korean Byung Hoon Lee placed second and third, respectively.

Gesner topped the 40-49 age division, beating Korean Dea Poong Jeun and Swiss entry Felix Guggenheim, while Kerber reigned supreme in the junior masters (30-39), winning over Cabili and Mowday.

In the men’s class (29 and below), Kobayashi beat Ruamsap and Filipino German Paz for the crown, while Aguirre-Graf ruled the ladies division, beating Fele Mayer and Korean Choi Young Mi.

The conditions that greeted the participants were perfect. The winds blew all day of Day 1, peaking at 19 knots. In such conditions the lagoon off Bulabog Beach was a perfect race track for the downwind slalom event.