Event will take place at Moomba Beach November 2-3-4

For the 4th consecutive year the Aruba Tourism Authority is supporting this “fun” beach tennis event. International tournament held at MooMba Beach on November 2, 3 and 4, promises to be fantastic featuring this year invited Dutch Champions Robert v. Boeschoten and Peter Amerika. Local participants are registering for the fun happening as we speak, while international players are sending in their registrations via e-mail. The top category (Open A) is expected to sizzle, with the US National Champions, a superb Dutch team, Italian wizards and a team from Costa Rica trying to take out our local favorites.

Beach tennis is about having fun, and the combination of sun, sand and sport is unbeatable. MooMba Beach is the perfect venue for the event, which is held in all categories, from beginners to advanced. Notice that most participants are no tennis players! Everyone can join the action so take up the phone and start dialing.

Sponsors:
The tournament is sponsored by Polar Beer, Alno Kitchens, the Aruba Tourism Authority and Century 21 – Best and Solid Real Estate. Expect a super lounge area courtesy of The Jungle and a fantastic barbecue evening courtesy of MooMba Beach.

Contact:
To register or for additional information please call tel. 583-7074 or cel. 592-6421 or mail to register@arubabeachtennis.com

Ireland Claims Outright Lead Back in Aruba

On the toughest windy conditions we have had all week long at Aruba's Tierra del Sol Resort, Michael Hoey and Gareth Maybin of Ireland were able to claim the outright lead back at The Omega Mission Hills World Cup Aruba Qualifier 2007. The Irishmen carded a 3-under par 68 on the third round of best-ball fourball to lead at 10-under par 203, one-stroke clear of Puerto Rico, Paraguay and Italy.

"It was tough out there. It was just really hard with the wind, as it takes a lot out of you," commented Hoey. "Maybe we didn't putt as well as we did on the last couple of days, but it was good anyway. We caught a lot of fairways and greens".

The Irishmen birdied the first, but then slowed down with eight consecutive pars. A strong charge of birdie-par-birdie-birdie off the tenth awarded them a two-stroke lead before they gave a shot back by bogeying the par-five 14 th.

"Anytime you are at the top of the leaderboard you have to feel happy. Tomorrow we just have to hit fairways and greens, shoot a good solid score and see what happens. There are many good players out here, so we have to go out there and focus on our own game," added Maybin.

Wilfredo Morales and Miguel Su‡rez of Puerto Rico and Carlos Franco and Fabrizio Zanotti of Paraguay both carded a 67 to move-up into the three-way tie for second with the Molinari brothers from Italy, who lost hold of the co-lead by carding a 68. Meanwhile, Venezuela's Miguel Mart’nez and Juan Carlos Berastegui hold the fifth and last qualifying spot available after a 66 that saw them climb two spots at 8-under par 205.

Starting the day in a tie for ninth at even-par, Colombia has entered the race with strength. The duo of Gustavo Mendoza and Jorge Benedetti moved into the solo sixth, two strokes behind Venezuela, by virtue of a best-of-the day 65 of seven birdies and one bogey. A stroke further back the solo seventh belongs to Dwayne Pearman and Kim Swan of Bermuda, who shot 1-under par 70 to move down one spot.

With the nerve wracking format of alternate-shot foursomes left for tomorrow's final day, other teams such a Chile, solo eight at 3-under, the Check Republic, Brazil and Guatemala, tied for ninth at 2-under still could have a chance to make the 28-team field scheduled to compete in the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in China, November 22-25.

The strong wind, coming from the Caribbean Sea at a speed of 35 miles, provoked plenty of movement on the leaderboard. Carlos Franco and Fabrizio Zanotti were able to sort it early, taking the outright lead by two strokes after a valiant 31 on the front nine. However, they ran out of gas to card eight pars and one bogey on a highly frustrating back nine.

Miguel Mart’nez and Juan Carlos Berastegui set a great pace as well. After seven birdies and one bogey on the first twelve holes, the Venezuelan duo was off to a hot start. However, they were unable to pull away any further as they played 1-over on the remaining six holes, with bogey at the par-five 14, a birdie on 16 and a final bogey at the par-three 17.

But no one finished as upset as Alejandro Villavicencio and Pablo Acu–a. The young Guatemalans were unable to follow on their success of the first 36 holes, as they carded a highest-of-the-day 3-over par 74 to slip down from a tie for third into a tie for ninth.

Tomorrow's final round of alternate-shot foursomes is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m., with the final group featuring Ireland and Paraguay teeing off at 9:51 a.m. (local time is the same as the US Atlantic coast).

The Omega Mission Hills World Cup Aruba Qualifier 2007 awards five berths for the Omega Mission Hills World Cup, to be played in China, November 22-25. The qualifying event is conducted by the Tour de las Americas on behalf of the International Federation of PGA Tours.

Photos by Enrique Berardi, TLA

Puerto Rico Leads the Way to the Omega Mission Hills World Cup

Puerto Rico's Wilfredo Morales and Miguel Su‡rez turned out to be the winners of The Omega Mission Hills World Cup Aruba Qualifier 2007, which came to and end today at the Tierra del Sol Resort.

The Puerto Rican duo carded a final day 2-under par 69 of alternate shot foursomes to finish the week at 11-under par 273. That final effort allowed them and to take the outright lead from Ireland's Michael Hoey and Gareth Maybin, who carded a 71 to finish one stroke behind as the solo second.

A best-of-the-day Ðunder par 68 vaulted Colombia's Gustavo Mendoza and Jorge Benedetti into the solo third at 9-under par 275. The Colombians, tied for the ninth spot at even-par midway through the event, were by far the best team over the final 36 holes.

Paraguay, carding a 72 that included a double-bogey on the last hole, Italy, 72, and Venezuela, 71, finished in a tie for the eight spot at 8-under par 276 after a dramatic series of events that forced a playoff for the final two berths. With Venezuela missing a four-footer for par at the 73 rd hole, both Paraguay and Italy secured their own par putts to make the Omega Mission Hills World Cup.

"This is a great joy for us. We came here just trying to qualify, so it is very satisfying to finish as the best team," said an ecstatic Miguel Su‡rez, set to make his third World Cup appearance.

The Puerto Ricans started the day with consecutive birdies at the first and second, but found trouble with a double-bogey at the fourth and a bogey at the sixth. "After that we birdied the eight and the eleventh to fix it a little. Another birdie at 16 th allowed us to finish at 2-under for the day, which is a great score under these conditions," added Su‡rez, a 38-year old who turned pro back in 1995.

The winning duo played as a team in the 1996 World Cup in South Africa, at the time Morales, who is making his fourth World Cup, was still an amateur. "The last time Puerto Rico made it to the World Cup it was back in 1999. It's great to make it back to such an event like that, especially because Puerto Rico is having a PGA Tour event next season," commented Morales.

The Omega Mission Hills World Cup Aruba Qualifier 2007 was conducted by the Tour de las Americas on behalf of the International Federation of PGA Tours. The five teams qualifying here in Aruba made it into the 28-nation field that will compete for a US$5 million prize purse at Mission Hills, China, November 22-25.

Photo From left to right the five teams qualifying in Aruba: Edoardo and Francesco Molinari of Italy, Jorge Benedetti and Gustavo Mendoza of Colombia, Carlos Franco and Fabrizio Zanotti of Paraguay, Miguel Su‡rez and Wilfredo Morales of Puerto Rico, Michael Hoey and Gareth Maybin of Ireland. Photo by Enrique Berardi, Tour de las Americas.

For more log on to www.tourdelasamericas.com

Day 2 Report: Italy Shoots 69, Catches Ireland at the Top

A best-of-the-day 2-under par 69 of alternate shot foursomes allowed Italy's Edoardo and Francesco Molinari to catch Ireland at the top of The Omega Mission Hills World Cup Aruba Qualifier 2007.

The Irish duo of Gareth Maybin and Michael Hoey followed their brilliant 62 of the opening round with a 73 that erased their three-stroke overnight lead and established the halfway co-lead at 7-under par 135.

The surprising Guatemalans Alejandro Villavicencio and Pablo Acuña were on pace to claim the solo first, but suffered an upsetting finish of bogey at 17 and a double-bogey at 18 for a 72. Now they share the third spot along with Puerto Rico and Paraguay, two strokes behind the co-leaders.

Puerto Rico's Wilfredo Morales and Miguel Suárez made the top three by carding a 70, joining Italy as the only teams shooting under par on another windy day at the Tierra del Sol Resort, Spa & CC. Meanwhile, Paraguay relayed on Carlos Franco's experience to card a 71 that included a 48-yard sand wedge for eagle at the par-four No 5.

The solo sixth belongs to Bermuda's Dwayne Pearman and Kim Swan at 4-under par 138, while Venezuela's Miguel Martínez and Juan Berastegui hold the seventh spot one stroke further back. Closing the top eight teams at under par for the tournament are Brazil's Alexandre Rocha and Philippe Gasnier at 1-under par 141.

On their way to the top the Molinari brothers carded four birdies (holes 1, 2, 12 and 17) and two bogeys (3 and 18). "It was a good round for us. We played very steady golf, hitting fairways and greens. There were plenty of birdie chances, and our only regret was the two bogeys on holes 3 and 18. Those holes were supposed to be easy, as the wind was blowing in our favor," commented the 25-year old Francesco, by two years the youngest of the Italian duo.

After a 3-over par 39 on the front nine, the Irish were forced to fight back in order to survive. "We just didn't play our best at the start. A couple of bad tee shots made it difficult for us. We just tried to gather ourselves together and we just tried to give ourselves chances on the back, hitting fairways and greens. I had some pretty good iron shots down the stretch and Gareth had some pretty good drives. What matters is that we are still in position," said Hoey after a day of two bogeys, one double-bogey and two birdies.

Tomorrow the third round will be played under the format of best-ball, with the teams returning to today's alternate shot foursomes on Sunday's final round.

The Omega Mission Hills World Cup Aruba Qualifier 2007 awards five berths for the Omega Mission Hills World Cup, to be played in China, November 22-25. The qualifying event is conducted by the Tour de las Americas on behalf of the International Federation of PGA Tours.

Announces Scuba Diving Packages

According to PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors), the popularity of scuba diving continues to grow with 924,270 divers certified worldwide in 2006. A resort of choice for divers and home to the recently namedConde Nast Traveler Hot List honoree Larimar Spa, Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino announces Scuba in Aruba Packagesshowcasing the island’s underwater world for discovery.

Beginners can immerse themselves with a seven-night Learn to Dive Program starting at $2,899* and earn PADI open water certification. The Learn to Dive Program encompasses all equipment and includes accommodations, diving and instruction, tanks, weight belts and a welcome martini at the open-air Mira Solo. For the ultimate experience, Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino is offering experienced divers a seven-night Unlimited Diving package with rates beginning at $2,889* including accommodations, unlimited dives and a cocktail at the resort’s popular martini bar. Both package rates are based on double occupancy. Shorter packages of three and five-nights are also available.

Known for numerous wrecks and a diversity of reef sites, the warm waters off Aruba excite both the new diver and seasoned professional. Active travelers “in the know” prefer the warm waters of Aruba to explore the California Wreck, a 100 year-old ship surrounded by large coral formations and an abundance of fish, or the brain coral and sea fans of Arashi. All dive instruction and activities are through Unique Sports, a Five Star Gold Palm/National Geographic facility located at the resort.

For more information and reservations, call Radisson Hotels & Resorts at (800) 333-3333 or visit www.radisson.com/aruba. Guests booking Scuba in Aruba Packages should contact Unique Sports prior to arrival to schedule dives at 011-297-586-6555 x 6597 or unique@radissonaruba.com

On June 23 and 24th, the Dos Playa Open 2007 takes place.

Organizers of this weekend’s big event Arusurf announced that the athletes are ready to compete. A lot of action is expected at the competitions. Athletes are training very hard, due to the fact that the Dos Playa Open will determine the selection whom will travel to the Panamerican Surf competition in Chile.

Dos Playa, located in Arikok National Park is one of the island’s most beautiful beaches. This stretch of nature offers the perfect waves for bodyboarding and surfing and is the favorite spot for those who practice the sport.

The Dos Playa Open is part of the Beach Tour Aruba 2007. and is the second competition It is also Arusurf’s second competion organized this year and the third in total.

The competitions are judged by the International Surfing Association’s (ISA) rules and use an official ranking system.

This time there will be no need to bring in an international head judge, because now Aruba has eight local judges and one Head judge. The technical aspects of the sport are moving forward with giant steps due to the fact that the local association has been following ISA guidelines.

In the Dos Playa competition the following categories will be disputed by participants: Surf Open Men, Surf Open Women, Bodyboard Open Men, Bodyboard Open Women, Bodyboard Junior, Dropknee, Longboard, and Surf Jr.

Athletes from Venezuela and Curaçao have already signed up to partake in the competition.

Attendees can expect a great surfing and bodyboarding show by the athletes during the Dos Playa Open accompanied by live music from The Islanders band and Roots Rebels.

During the Panamerican Judo Circuit Championships which took place in the Dominican Republic this past weekend Aruban judoka Fiderd Vis confronted other athletes from the region and won bronze for his island. His participation was a great success in all aspects as he also convinced the Panamerican Judo Federation to extend him a special invitation to participate at the Panamerican Games 2007, being held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The Dominican Republic Championships were really a three competition in one weekend consisting of: the last classification for the Panamerican Games, the Pan-american Circuit and the Carib-bean Champion-ship were battled on the mats.

For Fiderd this championship was of great importance, more so, while eying the Panamerican Games for which he has been training intensively.

On Aruba he is supported by two top trainers, Betto Thiel and Alexis Cardenas, who have given him all the technical support in his preparation.

During the past few months Fiderd has participated at different competitions in preparation for the Games, including the World Cup at Belo Horizonte and the Panamerican Championships in Montreal. He also trained in Sao Paolo, with the Brazilian team for the past two months as part of a special agreement existing among the Olympic Com-mittees of Brazil and Aruba.

The Aruban Olympic Committee (COA) has noticed the dedication, disclipline and seriousness in Fiderd — who has improved considerably in the sport of Judo – and therefore has decided to apply for a special invitation to the Panamerican Sports Organization for him to attend the Panamerican Games. This based on all his merits in Judo. And now all the work of all those involved has been rewarded.

COA is very happy with the news and congratulates Fiderd with the results of a bronze medal at the Panamerican Cricuit and the special invitation to the Panamerican Games.

Friday March 30, 2007 at the Numismatic Museum

http://www.aruba-hiwinds.org/

On Friday November 17 2006, the Dutch Hobie Tiger team Mitch Booth and Pim Nieuwenhuis won the 16th Aruba Heineken Catamaran Regatta. Although the Dutchmen Pols/Veenstra (F18 Nacra Infusion) took the bullet in the final race, Booth/Nieuwenhuis remained the best in a fleet of 35 bigger catamarans. The Dutch Dart 18 sailors Mark Rijks and Brenda Liefhebber took the victory in the class for nine small cats. The conditions again were perfect with lots of sunshine and a warm trade-wind of about ten knots.

Holiday Inn Race: Battle for podium places
Since the fast catamarans had to sail five laps, there was a lot to gain and to lose. Booth and Nieuwenhuis could hardly lose their first position overall anymore, because Stuart Gummer and Hannah Burke (GBR, F18 Capricorn) were seven points behind. But they had a bad start and rounded the top mark in eighth position, whereas Gummer and Burke were leading. The Dutchmen caught up well in the next downwind and were third at the second top mark. Xander Pols and Tjidde Veenstra took over the lead and extended it every lap. Gummer and Booth changed positions a few times, but finally Booth and Nieuwenhuis managed to stay ahead and put pressure on Pols/Veenstra. Pols: “As an amateur, it was fantastic to compete against a great sailor like Mitch for five laps. And to beat him on the finish line. In the end he was only ten seconds behind us.” The victory of Booth/Nieuwenhuis could not be taken for granted, but they showed their professionalism by sailing a consistent series. Booth: “We had to fight for it. It would have been boring, if it was easy.”

Gummer and Burke finished third and are the runners up for the Aruba Regatta 2006. Gummer: “The competition and weather conditions were much harder this year, so I am glad with this result. It was a lovely race to finish with.” James and Gillian Power (GBR) battled for bronze with Wouter Samama and Paul Buyse (NED). Gillian Power: “It was good fun. He sailed us off the course before the start. He had to do it, but we got him on the downwind. I am very happy with our third place. After the disastrous second day, we did not think we could make it to the top three anymore. Especially after the pitch pole on Wednesday.” The Spitfire team Chris Sproat and Georgina Burke (Hannah’s sister) had its best race of the week. They were leading on handicap in the first three laps, but dropped back in the last ones. Sproat: “We missed a shift, but it is nice to finish with a good result.” They ended up in fifth position overall.

First finish for the boys
On the very last day, there was a little surprise in the small boat fleet. The Dutch family Prindle 19 with two young boys on the wire could stay ahead of Mark Rijks and Brenda Liefhebber. In yesterday’s long distance, the Grijpma team capsized and Sil (9) fell through the main sail. Over night, it was more or less fixed with tape and the three of them raced this morning and finished first. Rens (11): “Everybody on the ribs and starting vessel cheered for us. We were so happy. Yesterday, we could have finished second, but we fell over. I was very disappointed and did not want to talk about it for the rest of the day.” Sil about his first win ever: “It was nice for me, since I have never experienced that before.” Rijks and Liefhebber took their tenth bullet on handicap. Liefhebber: “It was a pity we did not have more competition, but it has been fun this week. We will come back.” Nicolette van Gorp and Ruud van Gisbergen had a nerve breaking last battle with the Austrian team Thomasch/Hankart, but remained in second position overall. Van Gorp: “We were in a comfortable second place for three laps, but Manfred came closer and closer. We hit the rudder of Mark and Brenda just before the finish and had to turn a 360. Fortunately, we could beat him overall.” One striking Dart 18 attracted the attention today. It was decorated with flags and a flower, because it was skipper Dick Ganseman’s 25th wedding-anniversary. Ganseman: “We told everybody at home they could come to Aruba for the celebration.”

For Edwin Lodder, organizer of the Aruba Heineken Catamaran Regata, this year’s edition was one of the best: “It has been fantastic. The conditions were perfect and the races exciting with a strong competition.” Also Mitch Booth enjoyed his week: “This event is the real meaning of beach cat sailing. There are not many regatta’s in the world, where you have these nice and consistent conditions.” The boats are in the container now, ready for transport to Europe.

Top five big catamarans after ten races and two discards:
1. NED – F18: Booth/Nieuwenhuis, 12 points
2. GBR – F18: Gummer/Burke, 20 points
3. GBR – F18: Power/Power, 33 points
4. NED – F18: Samama/Buyse, 33 points
5. GBR – Spitfire: Sproat/Burke, 43,5 points

Top three small catamarans after ten races and two discards:
1. NED – Dart 18: Rijks/Liefhebber, 8 points
2. NED – Dart 18: Van Gorp/Van Gisbergen, 20 points
3. AUT – Dart 18: Thomasch/Hankart, 21 points

In addition to the head sponsors Heineken and Aruba Tourism Authority, the Aruba Heineken Catamaran Regatta is sponsored Hapag Lloyd, TNG Swiss Watches, KLM, Holiday Inn, Does & Cadushi, Yamaha, Setar, Zwitserleven, Patria, Young Improvement, Magic Marine, Coca Cola, AWA, Atlantis Adventures, Anthony Veder & Co, Aruba Watersports Center, Aruba Aloe, Moomba Beach, Kodak, Palm Tours and Pelican Watersports.