Iloilo Hangout

Iloilo Paraw Regatta

Let’s HANGOUT in Iloilo City for the Iloilo Paraw Regatta!

Iloilo Paraw Regatta is the oldest traditional craft event in Asia, and the largest sailing event in the Philippines.  The Iloilo Paraw Regatta Foundation currently organizes the activities, with leading support from the Iloilo City and Provincial Governments and the Department of Tourism, along with private sector donations.

Activities have been expanded to spread over a week.  On the Saturday of the climactic weekend there is slalom racing on a course by the beach to facilitate crowd participation.  On the Sunday, the thirty-kilometer distance race is sailed on a course in the Iloilo Strait, running up the coast of Panay and then down the coast of Guimaras, before returning to the finish at Villa Beach.  Participant exposure to the events is in the tens of thousands.

The geophysical shape of the Iloilo Strait provides year round breezes.  Thus the working sailboat still predominates.  In these times of high fuel costs, and polluting oil spills, one can appreciate the simple ecology of the traditional paraw.  Nevertheless, the skills needed to sail are far more complex.

The objective of the Regatta is to celebrate the skills of the paraw sailors, and bring a fiesta spirit into their lives.  And with the colorful painted sails, this spirit is brought into the lives of participants and tourists as well.

Paraw

The principal attraction of Iloilo Paraw Regatta are the double outrigger boats called “paraw”.  This native sailboat has been in existence for no one knows how long.  But the fact remains that the people of the Iloilo Strait are still to this day using the paraw as a means of transportation as well a source of livelihood.  With a fresh breeze, and an Ilonggo at the helm, the paraw is a strikingly fast boat, making 20 to 30 kph through the waves.  Indeed, the paraw was the inspiring prototype from which the Westerners have developed what they call the trimaran, the fastest sailboats now on the planet.

Article and photo source: iloiloparawregatta.com