Del Rosario makes mark in jet ski first leg

ILOILO CITY, Philippines  -- Filipino world jetski champ Paul del Rosario emerged the biggest winner recently in the kickoff of the 2012 JSAP National Jet Ski Series dubbed “40th Iloilo Paraw Regatta 2012 National Jet Ski second Mayors Cup” at the Breakthrough Resort here.

Del Rosario faced a tough must-win situation in the final moto after last year’s Rookie of the Year Raymund Romualdez upstaged him in the first race of the premier Pro-Am Open class.

He did not just simply win the race but made his rivals and the crowd feel his mastery of the sport as he pulled away early and even passed two backmarkers before claiming the checkered flag in the Pro-Am division.

Del Rosario and Romualdez ended with identical 47 points but Del Rosario won it with a better finish in the final moto. Mike Mangio took third place while Pong Lee and BJ Ang ended fourth and fifth, respectively.

Del Rosario also ruled the Pro Am Stand Up class over top Cebu riders Ira Kiener and Butoy Gamallo.

Romualdez, on the other hand, vented his ire in the Novice Stock 30-below where he outshone runner-up Joey Gimenez, third placer Laurence Lucero and Bryan Sabadisto.

It was one successful event organized by the Iloilo Watercraft Association (IWA), considering the huge crowd and the big field of over 60 participants from Manila, Pampanga and Cebu who came over to celebrate the Paraw Festival with the Ilonggos.

Jam Mangio, the 2010 Female Rider of the Year, bested her male rivals in winning the Pro-am Stock crown while first-timer Noy Mercado of Megaworld prevailed in the Executive class over Troy Divinagracia and Paul Tinsay.

The young kids in the Junior division showed their potentials as the future of Jetski racing. Melissa Lucero emerged champion, beating older rivals Joey Gimenez and Benedict Lucero.

Sharing the limelight were Fritz Ortiz (Novice Stock 30-Up) over Noy Mercado and Cedric Loring, Ryan Villamor Velayo (Novice Stand Up) over fellow Cebuano Dodong Cortez, Abby Reyes and 10-year-old Julian Paul Neri.

The event is presented by Megaworld Global Estate Inc., the Daily Guardian and Bearland Paradise Resort and sponsored by Scan Marine Inc., ABS-CBN and Caltex Chevron.

Other backers are Splash Carwash and Restobar, Flow Superclub, Avescor Motors Iloilo, Tri-Ads Professional Lights and Sounds, Gyzer Purified Drinking Water, Play Telecom, Asterion Inc., BMB 88, JB Lacson, Quezon Paints, Red Cross and Trinity Medical Services.

The second leg of the JSAP National Jet Ski Series is set March 3-4 in San Fernando, La Union.  For further details, interested parties may contact Joan Pempengco at mobile  0917-8121537.