Destination Place: Taal Lake Yacht Club

The nomenclature for sailing hails back to hundreds of years of tradition. A rope is just a rope, until you put it inside a boat. Then it becomes something else.

Sailing has always interested me. I’d classify it under one of those hobbies I’d be willing to try if it was pushed in front of me as an offer. Setting foot into the Taal Lake Yacht Club hastened my fervor to try. And I will, one day.

Located about two minutes away from Taal View Heights, the TLYC sits bordering the calm waters of the Taal Lake, a “Sailing Mecca” in the Philippines according to The Lonely Planet guide.

I dropped by at a cold hour and spent the better part of a beer talking to Joe Hagedorn, manager to the club. He said that membership to the club isn’t bought — it’s earned. And though the club houses some of the most important people that contribute to the Philippine GNP, the club has an open door policy to anyone who wants to learn how to sail.

Starting from nothing, you’d expect to shell out about P2,000 for the rental and lessons which is roughly about 5 hours of training. This figure was indeed an eye opener to me as I had preconceived notions on the price of such a sport.

Overall, the club brings about an inviting atmosphere, open to anyone who sincerely wants to learn to sail. These guys have broken the barriers of intimidation, making it easy for the regular joe (like me) to learn. And yeah, I’ll probably take them up on the offer soon.

TLYC also offers windsurfing and boat rides to Taal Volcano.

– by Jayvee Fernandez

Taal View Heights sponsors regattas run by the club.

Contact Information
Joe Hagedorn: 0917-8950430 .
Taal Lake Yacht Club
www.tlyc.com