Veteran rowers compete in Manila Bay seasports festival

MANILA, Philippines - The Manila Bay Summer Seasports Festival sails off March 28-29 with the country’s top rowers, clubs and university teams seeing action and a record crowd expected at the Baywalk area along Roxas Boulevard.

Olympic rowers, Southeast Asian Games medalists and members of the national team that won the 2007 World Dragon Boat Championship in Sydney, Australia are competing in the event, which features the Men’s Open, Women’s Open, and Mixed Open 500-meter competitions.

The Philippine Navy and Philippine National Police head the team competition that also includes Camarines Sur, De La Salle University, University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, San Beda College, Accenture, Lufthansa Technik Philippines, Aqua Fortis, Pyros, PDRT Fireblades, Manila Dragons, Manila Blazing Paddles, Manila Wave, Blue Phoenix, Maharlika, RCP Sea Dragons, Drago Pilipinas, and the ESC Dragon Club.

Motorboat racers will also compete in stock and formula races, traditionally dominated by boatmen from Batangas, Cavite, La Union, Pangasinan, Mindoro, Iloilo, Aklan, and Dipolog.

Races begin at 8 a.m.

Now on its eighth year, the event is presented by Manila Broadcasting Company and the City of Manila in cooperation with the Philippine Coast Guard. It is supported by Caltex, Gold Eagle Beer, Revicon, Splash Manufacturing Corporation, RFM, M. Lhuillier, Cord Marine Epoxy and Briggs and Stratton.