Lake Buhi finally showed up fancied Army with a stunning come-from-behind win to cap the first leg of the 2013 Cobra Energy Drink Dragon Boat Regatta at the Manila Bay over the weekend.
Deprived of victory in last year’s fourth leg because of an infraction, the squad of fishermen and farmers living around Lake Buhi, Camarines Sur rallied in the last 20 meters to surge past the fading Army bets in narrowly ruling the men’s 300-meter Open division.
With only three days of practice, the Bicolano paddlers checked in with a time of 1 minute and 19.52 seconds in relegating the Army rowers, most of them members of the triumphant squad in the 2011 IDBF world championship in Tampa Bay, Florida, to second place (1:19.9).
Buhi-Camsur placed third (1:25.54) while Philippine Coast Guard (1:30.05) was fourth in the opening leg of the series sponsored by Cobra Energy Drink and organized by the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation.
“Eto ay nagpapakita lamang na mayroon kaming pang-international na mga rowers,” said San Pedro, Buhi barangay captain Joefred Balagot, who has been supporting the squad for nearly a year now, in a telephone interview.