Fourteen Filipino sailing coaches have completed a World Sailing Technical Course for Coaches Level 2 at Lighthouse Marina Resort in Subic Bay, a week that organisers are calling a major step forward for sailing development in the Philippines.
The course was organised by the Philippine Sailing Association Inc. (PSAI) under its I PHIL-SAILing Program, with backing from the International Olympic Committee's Olympic Solidarity funding, World Sailing, and the Philippine Olympic Committee. World Sailing Course Developer Tayfun Erey led the programme, taking participants well beyond basic instruction into race tactics, athlete safety, and strategic planning.
The group represented a broad slice of Filipino sailing. Coaches from the Philippine National Sailing Team trained alongside representatives from Balangay Sailing Club, Puerto Galera Yacht Club, Taal Lake Yacht Club, and Subic Sailing Club.
Classroom theory was balanced against on-water application throughout the seven days. The curriculum covered safety and rescue proficiency, athlete-centred coaching methods, and race management including Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions frameworks, all under the course theme of "Develop the Coach. Inspire the Sailor."
The week finished with a practical evaluation on the water, coaches competing in two races. The first was a standard windward-leeward course testing tactical fundamentals. The second was more demanding: a modified course requiring a windward mark rounding, a pass around the pin end, a return to the leeward mark, and a reverse finish sequence.
PSAI President Martin Tanco visited as the event wrapped up, joining coaches to discuss the association's plan for growing the sport across the country, which spans short-, medium- and long-term goals over the next decade.
Completing the Level 2 course equips coaches with skills in athlete observation, performance evaluation, training session planning, feedback delivery, and ongoing athlete development. The PSAI intends to put those skills to immediate use through a monthly centralised training schedule featuring seven-day intensive camps at venues chosen to replicate the conditions of upcoming SEA Games and Asian Games sites. Subic Bay's strong sea breezes, Puerto Galera's thermal winds, and Taal Lake's shifting inland breezes will each play a role in preparing athletes for the variable conditions they can expect on the international stage.
